Hilma

Where Hilma would send you

1. 1 Iya Bijin (Seiryu no Soba Dokoro) Restaurant Oct 2
   Iya Bijin (Seiryu no Soba Dokoro)

   ★★★★ Hilma's pick

   Soba on a terrace overlooking the Iya gorge — hand-cut noodles in view of where the buckwheat grows. The lunch sets are under ¥1,000 and come with a side of miso soup and pickles. Right off Route 32, a short drive from the Kazurabashi bridge.

   9-3 Zentoku, Nishiiyayamamura, Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan
2. 2 Jazz Festa in Iya Event Oct 2
   Jazz Festa in Iya

   Oct 3

   ★★★★★ Hilma's pick

   Live jazz at the Former Kitake Samurai Residence, a traditional samurai home with blackened beams and irori hearths. Vibraphonist Takashi Oi leads the trio. Doors 18:00 on Saturday October 3. ¥4,000–¥5,000 at the door. The one night this whole valley becomes a jazz hall.

   43 Oeda, Higashi-Iya, Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan
3. 3 Mt. Tsurugi Attraction Oct 2
   Mt. Tsurugi

   ★★★★ Hilma's pick

   Shikoku's second-highest peak, accessible from the Minokoshi trailhead. Take the chairlift to Nishijima, then 40–80 minutes on foot via the Ridge Trail or the gentler Tsurugi-do. The summit hut serves hot food and coffee with a panoramic view. Open late April to mid-November.

   Minokoshi, Higashi-Iya, Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan