Iya Valley

A deep mountain gorge in central Shikoku, carved by the Iya River, that served historically as a refuge for the defeated Heike clan following the Genpei War. Two vine suspension bridges, the Kazurabashi, are strung across the river on twisted wisteria vines according to a construction method that predates recorded Japanese bridge engineering. The valley retains thatch-roofed farmhouses on steep terraces in conditions of geographic isolation rare for the Japanese main islands.