Iya-no-Kazurabashi

Iya-no Kazurabashi

祖谷のかずら橋
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With its twisted jumble of creeking vines, crossing the famed Kazurabashi of Iya is something many people come from far and wide to experience. As the largest of the three remaining vine bridges in the Iya Valley, which at one point not so long ago was home to thirteen of these feats of back-country engineering, there is no doubt why it is nationally recognized as an Important Tangible Folk Culture Property. 

Beautiful to both see and cross in every season, this massive creation is 45 meters long, 2 meters wide, and hangs 14 meters above the Iya River. Approximately 6 tons of vine cut from the valley's forests are used in the the construction, and every three years they are replaced (most recently in Winter 2021). 
* Do note that this location can be a fairly popular place to visit on weekends during the nicer weather months, so don't expect much solitude mid-day on a spring-time Saturday. During holiday periods it can get particularly crowded, especially during Golden Week (about Apr 28 - May 8), around the Obon Holiday (Aug 10 - 16), and during the various national holidays in the autumn. (if looking for a more tranquil experience, make the effort to go out to the double vine bridges of Oku-Iya Niju Kazurabashi, which are not only quieter, but also prettier).
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Local Points
Nearby is the enormous  Kazurabashi Parking Area & Visitors Center  (also called "Yumebutai" ) which has a soba restaurant, a large souviner shop, parking for plenty of vehicles, and seems to have been inspired by a Joni Michell song (though you're more likely to see a tour bus than a Big Yellow Taxi).  Other Parking Areas  run by locals are easily seen next to here which are both cheaper and easier to access.
 Just beyond the exit to the Kazurabashi Vine Bridge is the pretty  Biwa Waterfall,   and between the waterfall and parking area is what we call the  Kazurabashi Arcade   which has several indoor & outdoor vendors and restaurants offering various coal roasted snacks, bowls of soba, and other Iya foods. If looking for something a bit different to eat, consider the  Forest Bear Cafe  on the opposite side of the river by the vine bridge entrance.
Access by Car
It is fairly easy to reach the Iya-no-Kazurabashi vine bridge by car from  Oboke.  It takes about 20 minutes and is two-laned the whole way. From there or from  Central Nishi-Iya  (about 5 or 6 minutes away) simply drive straight through the  Kazurabashi Junction  (turning left here leads to Oku-Iya), and follow the road a couple minutes to the large  Kazurabashi Parking Area.  Either park here or save yourself a couple hundred yen and park at one of the  Discount Parking Areas across the street there.
 If going to/from Oku-Iya, it is also possible to access the parking area by way of the small, one-lane road that joins Rt 32 just next to the  Kazurabashi Bus Stop  and crossing the vehicle bridge that goes beside the vine bridge. But do be careful of the many tourists that tend to walk haphazardly along the road here.
Access by Bus
Four Shikoku Kotsu Buses travel daily between the  Awa-Ikeda Bus Terminal  and the  Kazurabashi Bus Stop,   going via  Oboke.  These buses then continue past the Kazurabashi Bus Stop and into Oku-Iya, with a final stop at  Kubo  (Four daily buses also take the same route in reverse).
 Two additional Shikoku Kotsu Buses also travel everyday between Oboke and the  Kazurabashi Yumebutai Bus Stop  at the Kazurabashi Parking Area. Do note that these extra buses continue to/from here and connect to  Hotel Iya Onsen Bus Stop  in Iyakei Gorge, and they do not go to the main Kazurabashi Bus Stop or into Oku-Iya.
 Within Nishi-Iya there are also a few daily Local Buses that connect  Ichiu Bus Stop  in Central Nishi-Iya and the  Kazurabashi Yumebutai Bus Stop  at the Parking Area (*note: these Local Buses do not stop at the regular Kazurabashi Bus Stop, and they also go indirectly to the bridge via a back road, which takes 10-15 minutes longer).
 A once daily Long Distance Bus operated by KotoBus also goes between here and Takamatsu and Kotohira. This bus stops at the  Kazurabashi Yumebutai Bus Stop  (not at the regular Kazurabashi Bus Stop).
Access by Foot
If looking to walk in from some nearby places to stay, aside from those around the Kazurabashi Bus Stop, the  Kazura-ya Hotel  is about a 10 minute walk beyond the Biwa Waterfall, and the  Iya Kazurabashi Camp Village  is about 5 minutes more beyond that. Walking from the  Hotel Kazurabashi  takes about 20-25 minutes (1.2km), either by following the main route straight through  Kazurabashi Junction  and over the large bridge just after it which leads to the  Kazurabashi Parking Area & Visitors Center  , or by going left at the Junction and taking the narrow main road past some shops and houses, and then going down to the bridge from the  Kazurabashi Bus Stop.  If walking from  Central Nishi-Iya  it takes about 50-60 minutes (3km).

Some say the original vine bridges were the invention of the fleeing Heike Samurai, who came to the Iya Valley 800 years ago in order to hide. It is said that if their pursuers ever found them, they would be able to cut away the vines and have a better chance for escape.


And while the legends may indeed be plausible, what is sure is that the vine bridges of Iya did indeed serve another purpose (aside from being a way to cross the river). The original bridges weren't nearly as well built or as stable as they are today, and to cross the earlier constructions one needed to not just be sure of their balance, but also step in unison with the bridge as it swayed from side to side. People from outside the valley had difficulty with crossing the bridges, so when seeing someone having trouble, even from far up the hillsides in the surrounding villages, the local residents knew immediately that the person crossing was not from the area (people would often be suspicious not just because such outsiders could be a thief or even a con-artist, but more concerning was how the young women of Iya were prized for their beauty and fair skin, and they were often kidnapped).
Crossing the creeking and swaying bridge may be a little bit scary for some people, especially since the spaces between the foot slats are quite wide and the vines may seem a bit worn (but don't worry too much though, a few steel cables are put inside the vines nowadays... just in case).
Consider also checking out the bridge at night. On most evenings, spot-lights illuminating the bridge make for a stunning sight. Simply viewing the bridge like this is free, and many of the larger hotels offer free shuttles out each evening (ask the staff). 
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