There are vine bridges in two locations in Iya. The most commonly visited location, Iya no Kazurabashi, has one large bridge, while another location further up the valley, Oku-Iya no Kazurabashi, has two smaller bridges. The larger of these is said to be male, while the smaller is said to be female. There’s also a charming hand-powered rope and trolley bridge.

Crossing these bridges made of vines is a thrilling experience — they sway, and you can see the river directly beneath your feet. But don’t worry — today they’re reinforced with steel rope.

The bridges are associated with the Heike Clan who took refuge in the Iya Valley after their defeat by the Minamoto Clan in the Genpei War of 1180–1185. Construction with the thick vines that grow in the surrounding forests made them strong enough for daily use, but made them easy to cut down if the Minamoto attempted to invade the Heike’s valley fastness.

There are generally two types of people — those who cling to the side, taking hesitant, trembling steps, and those who stride fearlessly across and scorn to hold onto anything.

After crossing the first vine bridge, many visitors like to take the metal stairs down to the waterfall next to the bridge.

The Oku-Iya no Kazurabashi are in a remote and tranquil location with few visitors. Access is restricted in winter due to snow and ice.

On the southern side of the male vine bridge is the trailhead that leads to Mt. Tsurugi via Mt. Maruishi and Mt. Jirōgyū, one of the best ridge walks of Shikoku.