日本三大秘境のまち

Due to its central location, Tokushima’s Miyoshi City is often called the “naval of Shikoku”, and perhaps the naval of Miyoshi would be the Yoshino River, which flows right through its center. Within here the river forms the spectacular Oboke Gorge, and a great way to interact with and learn about this natural wonder is through a Geo-Tour offered in collaboration with the Miyoshi Geo-Guide Association, the Yamashiro Sengoku Kunizakai Group, and Obokekyo Mannaka Pleasure Boats.

Organizations Revitalizing Miyoshi City

After the tour I spoke with some of the people who guided us this day. 

Even though the endemic natural beauty and unique culture offerings of Miyoshi have existed since times immemorial, relatively few people from outside the area realize all that the Miyoshi has to offer.  

So in recent years Miyoshi City has been making efforts to showcase both its stunning landscapes and local charm to a wider audience, and several groups have been formed to lead the way.

The Miyoshi Geo-Guide Association

For the past few years the Miyoshi Geopark Project has been continually developing itself with the aim of getting full certification as a national Geopark. 

As part of the effort, the Miyoshi Geo-Guide Association was established to help introduce the natural and cultural features of Miyoshi to the rest of the world.

Our main Geo-Guide for this day was Toshihiro Yamanishi, who went out of his way to passionately share his knowledge of the local geology, as well as the surrounding flora and fauna. He apparently doesn’t just specialize with the Oboke area, but also has extensive expertise for the entire landscape of Miyoshi City.

Yamashiro Sengoku Kunizakai Group

Oboke Gorge and much of the Yoshino River are formally located in the Yamashiro town section of Miyoshi City, and the guides from the Yamashiro Sengoku Kunizakai Group specialize in all that this region has to offer.

The group is in involved in a wide range of activities unique to Yamashiro, including outdoor events, historical tours, and documenting the many “yokai” legends of monsters and bizarre creatures which originated in this rugged region.

On this day the group not only helped explain the area, but they also prepared various quizzes for us all to enjoy.

Obokekyo Mannaka Pleasure Boats

The Obokekyo Mannaka Service Area offers boat tours every day of the year, weather permitting. 

Their tranquil 30-minute boat rides through Oboke Gorge can be taken from 9am to 4pm (last ride starts at 3:30pm), with tickets costing 1200yen (children 600yen). No reservation is required.

At the moment, the “Oboke Boat and Geo Tour” is only being held for a limited time, but hopefully it will become a permanent fixture in the offerings for this burgeoning Geopark. So the next time you visit the Miyoshi area, why not find out from any of these groups how you can encounter Miyoshi’s fascinating history and extraordinary sights.

For more about the Miyoshi Geopark Project, check their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/people/みよしジオガイドの会/100057168981171/

And info about the Yamashiro Sengoku Kunizakai group is available on their Instagram page: 

https://www.instagram.com/sengoku_kunizakai/

And for info about Obokekyo Mannaka Service Area and their Pleasure Boat tours, check their website:

https://www.mannaka.co.jp/restaurant/excursionship/excursionship.html 

(Text & Photos by: Shaun Lamzy)