To include Iyakei Gorge in this tour:
+Add 30 minutes of taxi & guide time
(+¥4350 for Standard Taxi with guide, or +¥5700 for Jumbo Taxi with guide).
The lower 15km of the Iya Valley consists of a beautiful undeveloped gorge known locally as "Iyakei". The original one-laned, cliff-hugging road into the valley was built through here back in the 1920s and 30s, but being that the area was too steep to farm, nobody ever opted to settle here (it also acted as a natural barrier and helped keep Iya a "hidden" place").
We drive you into the upper gorge area along the old, rarely used road and stop at a couple panoramic viewpoints, including the Hi-no-Ji Bend (taking its name from the shape it makes similar to the Japanese letter "hi" ひ ), and to the famed Peeing Boy Statue which was built in the 1960s in honor of how young boys would dare eachother to relieve themselves here from a 200 meter high precipice.
To help with your planning and to know what to expect, please see our page about
Iya Valley Tours
Discover the Wonders of Our Hidden Home
For Travel Agents, please see here