Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture
A View of Ochiai Village in Autumn Life across the valley, and a local dish in my hands
Homes, stone walls, and fields climb the mountainside at Ochiai Village. On an October afternoon, I stood across the valley with a skewer of Iya dekomawashi in my hand. I was already staring at the homes reaching so high up the slope before I’d even taken a bite.
On an October afternoon, I looked across at the homes on the opposite slope. As I took a break with dekomawashi in hand, I found myself wondering what life was like in those homes.
AutumnAn October afternoon
A bite from the skewer, then one more look at the homes across the valley
On an October afternoon, Ochiai Village came into view across the valley. Homes dotted the mountainside, with fields and stone walls in between. Beside my red car, I tugged my cardigan into place and looked up toward the highest house. People live all the way up there, I thought. The view stretched farther than I’d expected, and I caught my breath.
I heard the village spans an elevation difference of as much as 390 m. From a distance, you can take it all in at a glance, but getting from that house to this field must mean climbing up and down the slopes. As I traced the houses one by one, I found myself less interested in simply seeing the view and more curious about what daily life here is like.
I had a skewer of Iya dekomawashi in my hand: potatoes, tofu, and konnyaku threaded together, brushed with miso sauce, and grilled. I looked over the pieces before taking a bite, and the warm aroma of grilled miso filled the air. Eating something warm in the mountain air made me relax without even realizing it.
They say the name dekomawashi comes from the way the skewer is turned while grilling, which resembles turning the head of a wooden puppet. When I first heard the name, I pictured the shape of the food, but it actually comes from the way it’s cooked. I looked at the skewer in my hand and gave a little laugh, thinking I’d like to watch it being made sometime.
I heard that traditional homes dating from the middle of the Edo period through the early Showa period still stand across the valley. At first, I was amazed by how far the village spread across the slope; now I was wondering about all the years of life those homes had seen. I kept tracing the paths between the houses and fields, imagining which ones I’d walk every day. At some point, I realized I’d stopped eating again, skewer still in hand.
By the time I finished eating, I was taking in the mountains more slowly than before. I looked once more at the faraway rooftops, traced the terraces of fields, then went back to the car. Maybe it was because I’d been looking over the village while I ate Iya food, but that slope stayed with me as more than a pretty view; it felt like a place full of everyday life. Next time, I want to learn more about the village’s history.
The story sections are fiction inspired by this location. For accurate information, please consult official tourism and information websites.
Local food to try on the trip
Iya Dekomawashi
Iya’s local dekomawashi is made with potatoes, firm tofu, konnyaku, and other ingredients threaded onto skewers, brushed with miso sauce, and grilled. It’s said to be named for the way the skewer is turned as it cooks, like the head of a wooden puppet. I ate it a bite at a time while looking over the village across the valley.
Highlights
A hillside village with a 390 m elevation difference
Ochiai Village spreads across a steep mountainside, with an elevation range of up to 390 m. When I follow the homes with my eyes, I start picturing the daily climbs and descents.
A landscape of old homes and stone walls
Traditional homes dating from the mid-Edo period to the early Showa period still stand here, alongside stone walls and fields. Ochiai Village is designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. Even from a distance, the pattern of houses and fields stays with me.
The route
Road to the Ochiai Village viewpoint
The viewpoint is in Nakaue, Higashi-Iya, Miyoshi City. From there, I looked directly across the valley at Ochiai Village.
At the viewpoint, I spent time taking in the homes and fields across the valley. After a bite of dekomawashi, I looked up to the very top of the slope once more.
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