日本三大秘境のまち

People have been living in Miyoshi City’s Iya Valley for hundreds of years, and over the centuries the residents have developed their own culture and traditions. The Higashi-Iya Museum of History and Folklore is a great place to learn about Iya’s rich and enduring heritage.

Experience the History of Iya Any Time of Year 

Many activities in the Iya Valley revolve around being outdoors in the beautiful landscape, however no matter what the weather is like outside, a fantastic way to gain insight about the area and its people would be to visit the Higashi-Iya Museum of History and Folklore.

Located in the center of the Iya Valley in the “downtown” neighborhood of Kyojo in Higashi-Iya (also known as “Oku-Iya”), the museum is easy to access by either car or bus.

The outside of the museum building is painted red, which is the symbolic color of the ancient Heike Clan. Legends say that some of the Heike Samurai settled in Iya many centuries ago.

An Impressive Collection

Open daily during most of the year, upon entering the museum it becomes immediately clear that there is a lot on offer and that a good deal of effort was made to put this place together.

Indeed, this well-curated museum is packed full of artifacts that have all been gathered from around the Iya Valley. There are also various displays which chronicle the unique lifestyles of the Iya people and explain the history of this “hidden” valley.

And aside from being neatly organized and wonderfully displayed, the items have bilingual name tags in Japanese and English. But even better, throughout the museum there are long-form descriptions that are also offered in well-written English which explain things in their historical and cultural context.

Understanding Local Life

There are a few different parts to the museum, one of which being about the fugitive Heike Samurai who came here to hide and live in the 12th century.

Another section gives insight to the daily lifestyles and traditions of the Iya people, including the food they grew in their mountainside farms and what people did for income in this remote and geographically isolated valley. 

In Parts 2 and 3 we will detail more about what’s on offer at the Higashi-Iya Museum of History and Folklore.

And for more info about the museum and access details, check the IyaTime website:

https://www.iyatime.com/higashi-iya-museum-of-local-history-and-folklore

(Text & Photos by: Shaun Lamzy)