Higashi-Iya Museum of Local History and Folklore

東祖谷歴史民俗資料館
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If looking to gain valuable insight into the lives and culture of the people of the Iya Valley, the Higashi-Iya Museum of Local History and Folklore is a good place to start. Full of various displays and artifacts collected from throughout the valley, the exhibits on offer document the long and rich history of this isolated yet historically interesting region.

One does not need to be a history buff in order to appreciate all that is on offer. The collection of items is quite extensive, and includes displays with swords and saws, a wide variety of antique farming tools, and exhibits that explain what the Iya people did for both food and income in this remote and rugged place.

Informative bilingual signs and long-form descriptions are also on hand in Japanese and English, allowing anyone to more deeply understand the wonderful presentations. 
Easily accessed by bus or car, the outside of the building is painted red in honor of the fugitive Heike Samurai who settled in the Iya Valley back in the 12th century in order to hide from those who were perusing them.

Accordingly, a portion of the museum is dedicated to telling the stories of the Heike and their impact on the cultural development of the valley. Maps and descriptions highlight various places within the Iya Valley which hold significance to their legacy, allowing this to be a great introduction to other places one may seek to visit afterwards. 

Of particular interest are the relic battle flags of the Heike which were recovered from within the Iya Valley which testify to the presence of these hiding samurai.
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Local Points
The  Higashi-Iya Museum of Local History and Folklore  is centrally located on the edge of the "downtown" area of  Kyojo  along the main road of RT 439. The large red building which houses the museum is easy to see as you approach it.
A short walk away are all the main points of Kyojo including the town office, a couple restaurants, the post office and ATM, and a few places to stay.
Access by Car
By car, its pretty easy to find the  Higashi-Iya Museum of Local History and Folklore  since it is located right along RT 439 which is the main road of the Iya Valley.
It takes about 15-20 minutes to reach here by car from the  Kazurabashi Area  in Nishi-Iya, or about 40 minutes by car from the  Oboke Station Area
Access by Bus & Foot
By bus, the closest stop would be the nearby  Kyojo Bus Stop  located about a two minute walk away. The bus stop has a set of very nice public toilets, and both the Shikoku Kotsu Buses (to/from Ikeda, Oboke, or Nishi-Iya) as well as the local Municipal Buses (for Oku-Iya, Nagoro, Double Vine Bridges, and Mt Tsurugi) stop here.

To find out more about the Iya Valley's unique history and legends, check out our History Page.