[Tokushima] Retreat in an unexplored region♪ 7 recommended hotels and ryokan for couples in Iya

Cities are crowded and lively, so even if you go on a date with your boyfriend, you can't relax and you end up feeling tired. If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle and spend some time alone with him in a quiet place, we recommend going on a trip a little further away. If you spend some time alone in quiet nature, you'll be able to talk about things you normally can't talk about, and your relationship will surely deepen ♡

If you want to spend some relaxing time with your partner away from the hustle and bustle of the city, how about visiting Iya, located deep in the mountains of Tokushima, where you can enjoy hidden hot springs and the great outdoors? Iya is known as the "hidden village of the Heike clan" and is counted among Japan's three most remote areas. At the famous "Oboke and Koboke" you can enjoy a date in the great outdoors with your partner on the "Iya Kazura Bridge" or a sightseeing boat. In this article, we will introduce you to some hotels and ryokan recommended for couples who want to relax in Iya.

"Iya's Hidden Inn Iya Bijin" is about a 15-minute drive from "JR Oboke Station." The "Iya Valley" spreads out in front of the inn, allowing you to enjoy a beautiful location. The inn was converted from a handmade soba restaurant into ryokan in 1975, and has a quaint and relaxing atmosphere. The inn is also proud of its soba noodles, which are made using local buckwheat seeds and spring water, and the taste of the soba has been passed down to this day. The lobby welcomes you in a warm space with an irori hearth, so you will feel both of you relaxing from the moment you arrive.

There are a total of nine rooms, all of which offer a spectacular view of the valley. Recommended for couples is the "detached suite," which offers a sense of privacy and even comes with a private meal area. It is a spacious and luxurious structure, with a 14-tatami Japanese-style room with an irori hearth and a 12-tatami Western-style room with a bed. There are two types of open-air baths to enjoy: cypress and ceramic. After the bath, you can soothe your daily fatigue in the massage chair.

source:

All rooms have an open-air bath, so you can enjoy the free-flowing onsen to your heart's content. The ceramic open-air bath uses far-infrared radiation from the Shigaraki ware pottery to warm you from the inside out. Enjoy the luxury of the overflowing hot water while overlooking the beautiful valley, and spend a relaxing time with your partner, feeling refreshed and healed.

source:

meal is a private room where you can enjoy yourself with meal. In the "Detached Suite" you can choose between the hearth or the meal of your room. It is equipped with an old-fashioned hearth and dugout, and the atmosphere is outstanding. You can enjoy mountain village dishes that change with the seasons, such as "Iya Vegetable Tempura" and "Ayu Grilled with Salt". The closing specialty "Iya Soba" is exquisite with a simple taste that brings the aroma, sweetness, and stickiness of buckwheat flour alive! While looking at the gentle hearth fire, please enjoy a special meal with him.

Wa-no-Yado Hotel Iya onsen is about 30 minutes by car from JR Oboke Station. There is one shuttle service per day (reservations required), so be sure to take advantage of it. After a rocking car ride, you will arrive at this inn, an extraordinary space in a remote area. You can have the rare experience of taking a cable car up to the open-air bath with natural hot spring water at the bottom of the valley. This hotel, where you can truly feel like you are in the middle of nature, is truly a relaxing space.

There are 20 rooms in total, including those with open-air baths and those with moon-viewing platforms, incorporating Japanese and Western tastes. The special room "Tamayura Suite Above the Clouds" with its open-air bath and foot bath will make you feel like you are above the clouds, and you can see the beauty of the valley from the room. Relax with your partner in a chair made by George Nakashima, a furniture craftsman representing the 20th century. Enjoy a luxurious time with the open-air bath with a spectacular view all to yourself.

The hotel boasts an observation bath overlooking the Iya Valley, which was renovated and reopened in March 2021, and an open-air bath with natural onsen directly from the source in the Iya Valley. It takes about 5 minutes to reach the open-air bath, about 170 meters below, by cable car, while taking in the panoramic view. Bathing in a secluded area surrounded by nature while listening to the sound of the river is a luxury in itself. Another plus point for women is that onsen is said to have skin-beautifying effects ♪

Dinner is a kaiseki course meal that makes full use of the rich flavors of nature's bounty. You can enjoy local ingredients such as "Genpei potatoes" and "Sudachi sweetfish," as well as Tokushima 's brand beef "Awa beef." The "Awa Premium Kaiseki" is a kaiseki course meal that includes A5 Awa beef and seafood and mountain delicacies. Enjoy the pairing with sake and wine and indulge in this luxurious meal with your partner to your heart's content.

Shin-Iya onsen Hotel Kazurabashi is about a 15-minute drive from JR Oboke Station. Located right in front of the Kazurabashi Bridge in Iya, this secluded inn in the mountains offers a great atmosphere for a relaxing stay. The open-air bath, which spreads out into the sky above Iya, which you can reach by cable car, offers the same excitement as a theme park. The retro bonnet bus is also used for the Kazurabashi Bridge tour for guests.

There are four types of rooms: Japanese-style rooms with open-air baths, Japanese-Western rooms with open-air baths with a view, Japanese-style rooms, and Japanese-Western rooms. For couples, we recommend the warm and cozy Japanese-style room with open-air bath "Tenjin." The open-air bath is an authentic rock bath made of Iya bluestone, so you and your partner can have it all to yourself in luxury. There is a massage chair in the room, so you can soothe your daily fatigue.

There are many baths to enjoy, including a large public bath, a private open-air bath (fee required), a private Goemon bath (fee required), and an open-air bath in the sky. To get to the open-air bath in the sky, take a cable car from the third floor courtyard and ascend while enjoying the view. Enjoy this extraordinary space while taking photos with your partner. Soaking in the hot water while overlooking the magnificent view of Mt. Iya will surely relieve your fatigue and recharge your energy.

Dinner is a banquet meal around the hearth. The atmosphere is so good you won't find it in the city, and it gets you excited. The menu is full of hearty dishes, mainly Iya local cuisine, including "dekomawashi" grilled over the hearth and "Iya soba." The relaxed atmosphere makes it easy to have deep conversations that you wouldn't normally have.

"Iya Valley onsen Hotel Hikyo no Yu" is about a 15-minute drive from "JR Oboke Station." There is a free shuttle from the station to the hotel, so you can get there without worry. If you arrive early, you will be treated to tea and homemade sweets in the lobby. "Iya no Kazurabashi Bridge" is about a 5-minute drive from the hotel, so it's nice to do a little sightseeing before dinner.

You can choose from a variety of room types, including Japanese-style rooms, Western-style rooms, and Japanese-Western style rooms. The modern Japanese-style rooms are perfect for couples, and have a relaxing atmosphere, with a beautiful view of the valley from the windows. It's a special time to lie down on the tatami mat with your partner while admiring the view. There is a coffee maker in the room, so you can relax with a cup of coffee whenever you like, such as when you arrive, after a bath, or in the morning.

There are three types of baths: a large public bath, an open-air bath, and a medicinal bath. The large public bath has a glass window that overlooks the Iya Valley, and you can enjoy a jet bath, a bubble bath, and a reclining bath. The open-air bath, which combines Awa blue stones, allows you to soak in onsen with an open feeling, which will surely lighten your mind. The medicinal bath "mugwort bath" has a very strong heat-retaining effect and is said to be effective for poor circulation, back pain, stiff shoulders, and skin problems, so be sure to soak in it for a soothing experience.

For dinner, you can choose from a variety of multi-course meals made with local ingredients. The recommended dish is the "Sennen no Kyozen" (a banquet of four special dishes overseen by Hori Chisako of the traditional Japanese restaurant "Kikunoi"). You can enjoy colorful dishes such as "amegoto buckwheat rice pickled in koji" and "amegoto dengaku rice (with cherry blossoms in spring)". Enjoy the dishes that can only be eaten here until you are full♪

The hot spring inn "Kyoukoku no Yuyado Obokekyo Manaka" is surrounded by the beautiful nature of the Yoshino River and is about a 5-minute drive from JR Oboke Station. There is a free shuttle bus, so you can get there without worry. It is in a great location, with beautiful views of Oboke Gorge from the rooms and open-air baths. There is also a tour (fee required) on the "Oboke Gorge Sightseeing Boat" that gently descends the gorge carved by the rapids of the Yoshino River, so why not enjoy it with your boyfriend?

There are four types of rooms: Japanese-style, Western-style, modern Japanese-Western, and Hollywood twin. If you're looking for a relaxing time as a couple, we recommend the spacious 10-tatami Japanese-style room. You can see a beautiful valley from the room. The hotel is equipped with "Imabari towels" and "Nanocare" steamers and hairdryers, which is a great point for women. Stretch out your limbs and relax on the tatami mats with your partner, and you'll feel like you've escaped from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

There are four types of baths to enjoy: a large public bath, an open-air bath, a private bath (fee required), and a bedrock bath (fee required). Relax and soak in the hot water while feeling the great outdoors. The open-air bath "Togoal Warm Tight Bath" contains a lot of sodium, which is said to smooth the skin and revive it to a fresh look. Try it out for yourself and your skin.

Dinner options include a healthy kaiseki meal made with seasonal ingredients from the mountains and rivers, as well as a luxurious kaiseki meal made with amago, the queen of mountain streams.

"Iya no Yado Kazuraya" is about 20 minutes by Shikoku Kotsu bus from "JR Oboke Station". They offer free pick-up service from the "Kazurabashi" bus stop. It is about a 10-minute walk from the most famous scenic spot in Iya Village, "Iya no Kazurabashi", and the power spot, "Biwa Falls", so you can enjoy sightseeing in the great outdoors with your partner and relax at ryokan.

The rooms are Japanese-style rooms that have a nostalgic atmosphere and the warmth of wood. From the rooms, you can see the villages on the opposite bank and the beautiful mountains. Watching the beauty of the valley through the seasons, which you can't experience in the city, let's forget about time and spend a relaxing time with your partner.

There are two types of baths: an indoor bath and an open-air bath with a view. The open-air bath, which exudes a secluded atmosphere, offers a magnificent view while feeling like you are in the middle of nature. At dusk, it is lit up and enveloped in a fantastic beauty. Spending a luxurious time listening to the sounds of birds and insects will soothe your mind and body.

For dinner, you can sit around the hearth in a private room and enjoy it just the two of you. We recommend the "Yururi Kaiseki" course, made with seasonal produce from the mountains and rivers. You can enjoy Iya's specialty "Dekomawashi," river fish dishes such as sweetfish and amego, "Iya soba," and wild vegetable dishes to your heart's content. Eating dinner around the hearth with him will be a wonderful memory.

"Oboke onsen Sunriver Oboke" is located in Tsurugiyama Quasi-National Park, about 10 minutes by car from "JR Oboke Station". If you make a reservation in advance, you can get a free shuttle from the station. Female guests will be treated with the pleasant hospitality of receiving a stylish scrunchie as a gift at the front desk. As it is surrounded by nature as a quasi-national park, you can feel nature no matter what season you visit and enjoy a relaxing stay just the two of you.

The perfect room for couples is a Japanese-style room with an open-air bath that you can enjoy just for the two of you. From the open-air bath, you can relax and enjoy the seasonal scenery facing the great outdoors. Enjoy a relaxing time with your partner while looking at the magnificent view from your room or the open-air bath.

The hotel has a large open-air bath with a view, and a large open-air bath, where you can relax and enjoy onsen, which are different from the open-air baths in the guest rooms. The strong alkaline spring water is popular because it does not require lotion, and is said to be a "beautiful skin bath" that women will love. Why not sweat it out in the sauna, release your everyday fatigue, and detox your mind and body?

Dinner is a multi-course meal using local ingredients such as seasonal vegetables and river fish. We recommend the "Oboke Gorge Multi-course Meal" where you can enjoy cuisine unique to this uncharted territory. You can enjoy a variety of dishes that can only be tasted here, such as "Ameho Hirara Yaki," "Peony Hotpot," "Iya Konnyaku and Seasonal Fish Platter," and "Iya Soba." You and your partner will be excited to see the colorful and delicious food in front of you, and the drinks will probably flow too.

We have introduced hotels and ryokan in Iya that are perfect for couples to enjoy some time alone together. Enjoy a luxurious time in an open-air bath or a room with a great view. A quiet and calm place surrounded by nature that you can't experience in the city will relieve you of stress and heal your mind and body. Spend some time together in the secluded atmosphere of Iya and deepen your relationship.