Tokushima
Old Japanese Highway
The Iya Highway Trail
Sadamitsu to Mt. Tsurugi. A journey from Tokushima’s river town to its tallest mountain
Nishi Awa (encompassing Mima City, Miyoshi City, Tsurugi Town, and Higashi Miyoshi Town) in the western part of Tokushima Prefecture is known as the “Momotaro of Japan” for its unique food culture and lifestyle that is still alive in the mountain settlements. The Iya Highway is a goods thoroughfare that has been used since the Edo period in Nishi Awa, dubbed “the most secluded region in Japan.” The “Iya Highway Trail” that we are walking today is a modern update of this route. We’re off on the heavenly trail to Mt.Tsurugi, a site of mountain worship and legend of the fleeing Heike warrior.
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