Ooboke/Koboke

Situated in the Iya Valley in Tokushima Prefecture, Shikoku, Ooboke and Koboke literally translate to "large place of danger" and "small place of danger." The two large gorges make up a portion of Mt. Tsurugi Quasi-National Park, an ambiguous status that the Japanese government provides to parks lesser than National, but greater than Prefectural. I stayed in a small minshuku ("guesthouse") about four kilometers from Ooboke, though it took considerably longer to get there, as it is situated amdist the winding peaks of the Iya Valley (famous for its soba, locally grown buckwheat noodles). The minshuku was located a short walk from Kazura-bashi, a 12th century bridge built entirely out of mountain vines. The Taira era premise was that when enemies approached, the army could easily chop down the bridge to prevent them from crossing the river. Despite the fact that it is now reinforced by hidden steel cables, it is still pretty terrifying to cross the bridge--especially as an acrophobe.






The next morning, I got up early and took a boat down the river through Ooboke and Koboke. Massive rock formations adorn both of the banks, though I had to selectively include photographs here to accentuate its appeal. Unfortunately, some of the higher rocks were leveled to make way for a large under-construction convention center, a few upscale hotels, and some hideous nondescript buildings. With that said: