Iya Valley, Mountain valley in Miyoshi, Japan

Iya Valley is a V-shaped gorge cut by the Iya River in Miyoshi, Tokushima Prefecture. Its slopes rise several tens to 100 metres and are covered in dense broadleaf and conifer forest, with grey boulders along the streambed. Settlements cling to the foothills, and the Iya Highway runs along the gorge.

In the late 12th century, members of the Taira Clan sought refuge in the valley after their defeat in the Gempei War. This connection shaped the isolated region and continues to be part of its identity.

The valley's vine bridges are woven from mountain vines and rebuilt periodically. The best known, Iya Kazurabashi in Nishi-Iya, is an Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property; the Oku-Iya Double Vine Bridge stands in Higashi-Iya. The name Iya may derive from a term for ancestor or mountain spirit, written with characters meaning "ancestor valley".

You can reach the valley by taking a local bus from Oboke Station, with hiking trails and lodging scattered throughout the area. Plan ahead since it is remote and services are not equally available everywhere.

The Peeing Boy Statue stands on a rock jutting over a 200 m drop at the Nanamagari bends of the Iya Valley road. Sculptor Kawasaki Yoshiyuki made it in 1968, recalling road workers and travellers who relieved themselves there as a test of nerve.