2 Michelin stars, secret hot springs, stunning red leaves, and the birthplace of monster culture... The beauty of this place is nothing less than Shirakawa!

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🤗 1. Where is Zugu?

We talked a little bit about it before when we talked about Awaji Island.

Zugu is located in Shikoku's Tokushima Prefecture, which is more than 80% mountainous, and many people may not have heard of Tokushima, but many of my friends at Awa Dance should have heard of it.

Awa is the former name of Tokushima, and the birthplace of the Awa Odori dance is Tokushima. Tokushima is bounded by the Kii waterway in the east, Kochi Prefecture in the west, the Pacific Ocean in the south, and Kagawa Prefecture in the north, and is surrounded by 1,000-meter-high mountains on three sides, with Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture across the Naruto Strait, making it a transit point connecting Shikoku with Kinki, and Shikoku with Hanshin. Although it is a transit point, this is Shikoku after all, and it is not very developed, so it is not very surprising that there are secret places.

🤗 2 . What to see in Zugu?

Another important reason why Zuigu is called a secret place is that, in addition to the terrain, there are countless legends of monsters and gods that have been passed down here, and although it is not a sacred mountain in Japan, it is one of the birthplaces of Japanese monster culture. (After all, the terrain is here)

When we talked about Yonago before, we mentioned a man, Shigeru Mizuki (because of him, Yonago became Japan's most famous home of ghosts and monsters). In Shigeru Mizuki's “Onitaro”, there is a character called “Grandpa Zizi” who comes from here.

Local legend has it that this demon has the face of an old man, but cries like a child. When they come across people walking along the mountain path, the demon makes the sound of a child's cry. Unknown people who hear the cries go looking for the child who made the sound and thus get lost in the mountains.

There are many such demon cultures in the Zugu, and according to incomplete statistics there are more than 60 districts in this region with demon legends. For example, we are going to talk about the area of Omobuji later on. Legend has it that if you walk in the Dabu Danger, you will encounter a shoe-grabbing demon who will wrap around your feet so that you can't walk, and you can only survive if you take off your shoes. (Hhh, isn't the grass too hard to walk on?)

The locals grew up hearing stories of demons. The town of Yamashiro in this area is called “Ogre Village”, and in 2008, Yamashiro was recognized by the World Ogre Association as a “World Ogre Heritage Site”.

Soya Niseko Vine Bridge

One of the most famous attractions in this area is the vine bridge in Zuya. The main body of the bridge is made of wild vines from the valley, making it famous as one of the three strangest bridges in Japan. The two vine bridges are erected side by side between the ravines, so the locals call them the Male Bridge and the Female Bridge, collectively known as the “Couple's Bridge”.

The Katsutake Bridge is surrounded by trees, and below it is the stream of the Zuya River. The scenery varies throughout the year, with rattan blossoms blooming in spring, new greenery sprouting in summer, red leaves spreading in autumn, and spectacular snowy scenery in winter. The foliage here is about to start now (mid to late November), so if you're planning to go, you can make good plans.

For those who are afraid of heights like me, you can go next to the ropeway, hahaha it's supposedly human-powered.

Big Step Danger-Small Step Danger

The wonders of Zugu are unforgettable - under the steep cliffs of Mount Jian at an elevation of 1,955 meters, the Zugu River meanders and flows endlessly, forming a marvelous V-shaped valley, which is a breathtaking sight from a bird's eye view from a high altitude, and has been ranked as a two-star attraction in the Michelin guidebook because of its superb scenery.

At the entrance of Zugu Stream is the famous Oobugui and Oobugui Gorge, where the stunning scenery is constant, and which is not only famous for its red foliage, but also for its boat trips, hiking, and mountain views, all of which are very impressive.

Obugi is a valley located in the upper and middle reaches of the Yoshino River, and has been selected as one of the “Top 100 Scenic Spots of Japan”, “Top 100 Secret Scenic Spots of Japan”, and “Top 100 Beautiful Historical Places of Japan”. The canyon is about 8 kilometers long, and is famous for its marvelous rock formations that look like works of art carved out of marble.

You can take a tour boat down the river at Oobugui, where the river is gentle, or experience rafting on the rapids at Oobugui, where the river twists and turns and which is one of the fastest in Japan.

A child peeing

It is said that there are three things you must do when visiting the secret place of Zugu in Tokushima Prefecture, Shikoku, Japan: climb the Zugu Vine Bridge, see a child peeing, and soak in the sea of clouds.

This is the most dangerous place in the Zugu Valley - the Seven Curves, there is a rock protruding from the valley, on which there is a cute statue of a child peeing.

It is said that when the Zugu Mountain Road was first opened, engineers would often come to this cliff face with the wind blowing downhill to urinate, and were asked not to spill their urine on the rock.

This place was named Pissing Rock, but it was said that no adult could do this peeing feat, and in the end, it was a small child who did what no adult could do. This story was later memorialized by a local artist statue, although the story is not as exciting as the one in Belgium, but it is still very exciting to stand here and look down.

Ancient Valley Hot Spring

“Zugu Onsen Hotel” stands on a rocky cliff above the cliffs between the streams, and you can see the beautiful valley from a high point. Surrounded by colorful mountains in all seasons, the hotel is especially famous for its wonderful autumn foliage. From November every year, the entire ryokan will be surrounded by the full color of the leaves on both sides of the valley as they spread from the top of the mountains to the water's edge. The guest rooms are decorated in a Japanese style, with each of the 20 rooms having its own distinctive features that bring the beauty of the valley into view.

Another special feature of this onsen hotel is that the onsen is at the bottom of the valley, and to get to the open-air bath at the bottom of the valley, about 170 meters below the hotel, you have to use a cable car that slides down a cliff with an inclination angle of 42 degrees, which is quite magical. The bathtub next to the flowing water of the Zuya River is filled with milky white hot spring water, which makes it look like a fairyland from afar, with its smoky atmosphere.

🤗 3 . How to get to Zugu

In fact, the transportation here is also relatively simple, you can just go directly to the Daibuguan Station, these attractions can basically be done in one day.

If you stay at the hot spring for one night, you can design a 2-day itinerary.

We usually recommend going from Kochi/Takamatsu to Obugu, then change to a bus to go to the Fujimine Bridge side, hiking+boat ride+hanging bridges, then soak in the hot springs very nicely afterward, and then go from Obugu to Takamatsu/Kochi.

Of course, if you are driving, feel free to do so.