What Is the Iya Kazura Bridge? Hours, Fees, Parking and How to Reach It

Published 2026-10-04 · Sources checked 2026-10-04 · Treasure Hunting Co., Ltd.

This guide is for visitors who want to cross the vine bridge in the Iya Valley. It explains what the bridge is, when it is open, what it costs to cross and park, and how to reach it by car or bus.

We used the English pages of the Miyoshi City Tourism Association and the Tokushima Prefectural Government. All pages were read on 2026-10-04. Opening hours and fees are as the association lists them. Check its site before you go, because prices and hours can change.

What the bridge is

The Tokushima prefecture page describes the Vine Bridge as being in the mysterious place called Iya, where a tragic tale of the Taira clan originates. It is made of hardy kiwi vine, which the page says weighs about 5 tonnes. Its length, width and height above the water are 45 metres, 2 metres and 14 metres.

The page says that long ago the bridge was the only traffic facility in the Miyama Valley area. It says the bridge is rebuilt every three years.

The tourism association's full-day tour page gives a slightly different weight, about 6 tonnes, and the same measurements. We chose to show both figures instead of picking one. It also says the bridge is made of vines so that it could be cut down if enemies approached. It gives 40 minutes as an estimated visit. That includes the nearby Biwa Waterfall, which is one minute away on foot.

Nearby: the double vine bridges of Oku-Iya

The same page describes a second site deeper in the valley, the Oku-Iya double vine bridges. It says you can stroll around the grounds freely and go down to the riverside, and it gives about 50 minutes as an estimated stay. It also notes a hand-pulled ropeway nearby that crosses the stream. As the FAQ says, large buses cannot reach Oku-Iya by the single-lane road past the vine bridge.

Opening hours

The association says the bridge is open all year round from sunrise to sunset. Its FAQ lists hours by season:

• April to about 20 July. 7:00 am to 6:30 pm.
• About 21 July to August. 6:30 am to 7:00 pm.
• September. 7:00 am to 6:30 pm.
• October to November. 7:00 am to 5:30 pm.
• December to mid-February. 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
• Mid-February to March. 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.

The FAQ adds that the bridge is lit up every day from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm.

What it costs to cross

The FAQ gives these prices:

• Adults aged 13 and over pay 550 yen. Children aged 12 and under pay 350 yen.
• A group of more than 20 people pays 500 yen for adults and 320 yen for children.
• Visitors with a disability pay 270 yen for adults and 170 yen for children. They must show a disability certificate or a rehabilitation certificate.

Parking

The FAQ tells drivers to set the nearest car park in the navigation system. It names the visitor facility Kazurabashi Yume Butai and gives its address as Zentoku, Nishi-Iyayamamura, Miyoshi City. The prices are:

• A standard car pays 500 yen. The car park has 350 spaces.
• A large bus pays 1,570 yen, with 20 spaces.
• A medium or small bus pays 1,050 yen.
• A motorbike pays 210 yen.

By car

The closest expressway exits are Ikawa-Ikeda on the Tokushima Road and Otoyo on the Kochi Road. The drive from each is about 1 hour on National Route 32. From Ikawa-Ikeda there are two routes:

• Route 1, by way of Oboke. About 37 km and 50 minutes. It is a single-lane road to the bridge, and large buses can enter. Large buses cannot go beyond the bridge toward Oku-Iya.
• Route 2, by way of Iyaguchi. About 33 km and 1 hour. Large buses cannot use it. Medium and small buses are fine.

By bus

From JR Awa-Ikeda Station, four buses a day run by way of Oboke and three run by way of Deai, seven in all. The prefecture page says you can reach the Zentoku stop on the Shikoku Kotsu Iya Line, then walk about two minutes. It also names the Kazura-bashi stop on the Miyoshi municipal bus from Oboke Station, one minute from the bridge.

What we could not verify, and therefore left out

• The date when the bridge was last rebuilt, or when it will be rebuilt next.
• The true weight of the bridge, because the two official pages disagree, and how many people may be on it at once.
• Whether the bridge closes in strong wind, snow or heavy rain.
• Bus fares and the current timetable.
• Whether the lighting hours change by season.

Related guides

• How do you get to the Iya Valley from Osaka, Okayama and Tokushima?
• How do you stay safe in the Iya Valley? Narrow roads, long walks and weather

Sources

All URLs retrieved 2026-10-04.

1. Vine Bridge in the Iya Valley (Tokushima Prefecture) — (size; weight; rebuilt every three years; bus stops; drive from Ikawa-Ikeda)
2. FAQ (Miyoshi City Tourism Association) — (opening hours; crossing fees; parking; routes; buses per day)
3. Oboke-Iya and Oku-Iya full immersion tour (Miyoshi City Tourism Association) — (about 6 tonnes; vines cut if enemies approached; Biwa Waterfall; Oku-Iya double vine bridges)