Miyoshi (Tokushima)/Oboke and Koboke



Ōboke (大歩危) and Koboke (小歩危) mean, respectively, "big steps dangerous" and "small steps dangerous" &mdash; an apt description of the perils of traversing on foot through these steep gorges in Shikoku. The river views and awesome white water rafting are the big draws here.

Orientation
The Yoshino River which forms the Oboke and Koboke Gorges flows from Kochi Prefecture in the south up to the town of Ikeda to the north. Oboke is a bit larger and near the prefecture border, and Koboke is just to the north (it's hard to really tell where one gorge ends and the other begins, as they more or less merge together.) The main access road of Rt 32 follows the river and runs entirely through the gorges from Ikeda to Kochi, and the JR Dosan train line also follows this route.

Get in
The Iya Valley page lists a variety of car rental options and other area access info.

By road
It is recommended to travel in this area by car. If you get there by train, you'll have a long walk along a noisy road without sidewalks to many places, but some services (accommodation, rafting) offer station pick-ups if booked ahead. It is also hard to find entry points for hiking trails without a car. The nearest major car rentals are located quite far away: Marugame, Takamatsu, and Kochi, however for those entering the area via Ikeda, there is a small car rental service in Ikeda at the main station (JR Rental Car), and near to Ikeda is Miyoshi Rental Car. Within Oboke, there is also a small car rental service operated via the Mannaka Hotel which is located a 10 minute walk from Oboke Station, just past the Michi-no-Eki.

National Highway 32 winds along the Yoshino River through the pristine valley of Koboke and Oboke. Coming from Osaka, Kobe or Tokushima, take the toll highway and exit at Ikeda (Ikawa-Ikeda IC). Then follow Route 192 west about 5 minutes to Route 32, then southward towards Kochi. Along Route 32 the valley gets increasingly narrow from here, first passing through Iyaguchi after about 10km (turn here at the sign for 'Deai' if accessing the Iya Gorge area of the Iya valley via 'old' Route 32). Continue another 10 kilometers to first reach Koboke and a little further along through the gorge to Oboke. Route 32 goes south to Kochi from here and the Oboke gorge continues on for a while to Iwahara in Kochi Prefecture.

A tunnel also connects Oboke to the western Iya Valley along Route 45.

From the south (Kochi area) head north on Route 32 (about 1 hour and 15 minutes from Kochi City on this road), or take the toll highway north to the Otoyo IC and head north on Route 32 from here (about 30 minutes to Oboke from Otoyo). Iwahara would be about 10 minutes closer.

By train
Both Oboke and Koboke have stations on the JR Dosan Line from Kochi to Takamatsu via Ikeda. Stops in Koboke are by local train only, though. Nearly all trains (including express) stop in Oboke. Taxis are available from Oboke, and some places offer station pick-up if booked ahead. Iyaguchi Station, Awa-Kawaguchi Station and Koboke Station to the north and Tosa-Iwawhara Station (for Iwahara in Kochi) further south are only accessible by local train.

By bus
Buses that come from Ikeda's Awa-Ikeda Bus Terminal (阿波池田ＢＴ) to Koboke and then Oboke (and then on to the Iya Valley) run sparsely. Weekends and high season offer increased services if going from Oboke to the Iya Valley. See the Iya Valley page for more access information if going there.

Understanding the buses can be a bit confusing. There are two bus services, one offered by Shikoku Kotsu (Yonkoh) and one offered by Miyoshi City (municipal buses). The Yonkoh buses operate out of Ikeda and run through the main areas and on to the Iya Valley, while the municipal buses in Oboke/Koboke do not connect to Ikeda but are based in Awa-Kawaguchi and service some additional local areas. Some bus times are arranged to allow connection between the two systems, but sometimes they do not (the main purpose of the municipal bus is to also act as a school bus, so do look to see if they are weekdays only). Caution: Throughout 2018 many of the bus schedules and routes have changed for both the Yonkoh buses and the local municipal buses. There are many printed scedules available in the area (at hotels, rest stops, etc) which may have the old times, so do not trust anything printed before December 2018.

The Yonkoh website has times in Japanese only for their buses (but not for the many local buses).

Do


There's one big reason for most people to visit the area: the rapids rushing through the gorge below. There are observation platforms on the highway and near the train stations if you're content to gaze from a distance, but more daring types will venture down onto the Yoshino River for a sightseeing pleasure cruise, and even more adventurous types yet will try their hand at white-water rafting in the class 4 rapids.

White-water rafting
The rapids are Japan's biggest and most exciting, with amazing rock formations and crystal clear waters. There are several rafting operators available in the area and this is by far not a complete list. Canyoning (splashing down through streams and waterfalls with rope) is also available with most rafting companies.


 * Mont Bell in WestWest also offers rafting trips, as does Lion Adventure in Iyaguchi (near The Woody Rest), as well as Kenmi Rafting via Kenmi Hotsprings Hotel, however English service is limited with these and most other rafting companies in the area.
 * Mont Bell in WestWest also offers rafting trips, as does Lion Adventure in Iyaguchi (near The Woody Rest), as well as Kenmi Rafting via Kenmi Hotsprings Hotel, however English service is limited with these and most other rafting companies in the area.
 * Mont Bell in WestWest also offers rafting trips, as does Lion Adventure in Iyaguchi (near The Woody Rest), as well as Kenmi Rafting via Kenmi Hotsprings Hotel, however English service is limited with these and most other rafting companies in the area.

Pleasure boat cruise
This 30-minute boat cruise can be a more tranquil way to experience the Oboke Gorge from the water if one is not looking for the extremes of rafting. Operated via the Hotel Mannaka from their rest area across from the hotel, boats run daily from 09:00 to 17:00 and cost &yen;1080/540 for adults/children. See here for more information.

Hot springs
If you survive the rafting experience without developing acute hydrophobia, or if you wish to get wet in a more heated manner, Kenmi Hotsprings Hotel, Hotel Mannaka and the Sun River Oboke hotel have hot springs offering more bubbling water to soak in, all with day-use bath only options. If one drives 15-20 minutes up from Oboke into the Iya Valley, there are also several hot springs on offer there, with the closest one being at Hotel Hikyo-no-Yu.

Buy
There are several rest areas along Route 32 between Iyaguchi to the north and the Oboke intersection to the south.





Eat and drink
The local specialties are ayu and amego, delicious river fish salted and barbecued on a stick.



Camping

 * There are closer camping options for the area located in the Iya Valley. About 15-20 minutes from Iyaguchi is the Iya-kei Campground, and about 15 minutes from Oboke are the Iya Fureai Park Campground and Kazurabashi Campground. All of the campgrounds are accessible by public bus. See the Iya Valley page for more details.
 * There are closer camping options for the area located in the Iya Valley. About 15-20 minutes from Iyaguchi is the Iya-kei Campground, and about 15 minutes from Oboke are the Iya Fureai Park Campground and Kazurabashi Campground. All of the campgrounds are accessible by public bus. See the Iya Valley page for more details.

Guesthouses
Cabins and bungalows are available at the Shiozuka Highlands Campground at affordable prices, especially if not staying alone. See above.



Go next

 * Ikeda, the access hub for the Oboke, Kobobe, and Iya region.
 * Iya Valley, with more scenic views, historic vine bridges, hot springs, and some great hiking too, it is just up the mountain and through the tunnel from Oboke.
 * Kochi, head down south for beaches, bars, and barbecue fish.