Deep in the mountains of Miyoshi city, Tokushima prefecture lays Iya, one of Japan’s Three Hidden Regions.

In the V-shaped Iya River valley some magnificent scenery can be enjoyed, and there is hotel located at a place known as the cliffs of the valley.

Hotel Iya Onsen:

The best feature of the hotel is its open-air bath whose waters flow free from the source.
It’s not just any open-air bath…
This secret hot spring is located 170 meters below the hotel, far in the bottom of the valley.
Describing how you descend to the bottom of the valley… it’s easier to show you a photograph:

That’s right; to go down the cliff with a 42-degree decline, you ride a cable car for around 5-minutes. Seeing the view from the cable car is a part of enjoying the experience.
When you reach the bottom of the valley, after a few steps, you will have the open-air bath with an amazing view of the magnificent valley right in front of your eyes.

The hot spring type is a simple alkaline sulfur hot spring with viscosity, and when you submerge in the water you will be wrapped in champagne-like bubbles. It’s a hot spring for beautiful skin.
As the spring water is not too hot, you can soak for a long while without getting out.

The hotel has some VIP style rooms that include a private open-air bath.
Instead of the bottom of the valley, you have an open air bath with a view over the mountains – this view is also sublime!
“The world is mine~~!!!”
…It really gives you the feeling of having this secluded area all to yourself.

When talking about hotels, you have to mention the food.
At the restaurant with views of the valley below, you can enjoy salted and grilled red spot trout, Iya soba noodles, sobasubeshi (a kind of soup), dishes made from wild plants and many others. Please enjoy Iya’s local gourmet cuisine to the fullest!

Beautiful scenery, a secret bath and delicious food…
How about spending your next holiday in this kind of luxury?

By the way, right nearby there is a famous sightseeing spot featuring the “Peeing Boy”.

Next to the road, there is a rock protruding off the cliff. At the end of the rock there is a statue of a little boy peeing while standing. Just looking at the statue makes you feel like your feet are frozen in place, but it is said that this was once the place where the local children would put their courage to test.
“You’re playing all cool, but can you pee off the cliff here?”
“Don’t make fun of me. I’ll show you, just you wait and see.”

Maybe these are the kind of conversations that were had! You can imagine…

There are many other sightseeing spots, so come and enjoy a visit to Iya!

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Hotel Iya Onsen:

Location: 367-2 Matsumoto, Matsuo, Ikeda-cho, Miyoshi city, Tokushima prefecture
Telephone: 0883-75-2311
Parking: Available
Homepage (Japanese): http://www.iyaonsen.co.jp/
Home Page (English): http://www.iyaonsen.co.jp/english/

Setouchi Finder Photo-writer: Daisuke Chiba