Experience
Tokusima
Whitewater Adventure through Koboke Gorge on the Yoshino River
Tokusima
Whitewater Adventure through Koboke Gorge on the Yoshino River
This image was generated using AI. The actual experience may differ from what is shown.
Overview
Near the center of Shikoku, the Oboke and Koboke gorges stretch along the middle reaches of the Yoshino River in Miyoshi, Tokushima, carved through exposed Sanbagawa metamorphic rock. Designated a National Natural Monument in 2014, this gorge is one of Japan's premier whitewater destinations and hosted the 2017 World Rafting Championships, which brought together 71 teams from 22 countries. Go Go Adventure is a rafting tour operator based on this stretch of river and a member of the Japan Rafting Association. With free transfers from JR Awa-Kawaguchi Station and service in English, international visitors can reach the experience entirely by rail. Tours operate each year from April through November.
Highlights
Each time the raft charges into a wave, cheers rise with the spray. Rafting transforms Oboke and Koboke from gorges you merely see into landscapes you experience with your whole body.
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Raft the same current where the world's best competed.
The World Rafting Championships took place on the Yoshino River in Yamashiro-cho, Miyoshi, in October 2017. The Koboke section features a succession of Grade II to IV+ rapids, including Magarido Rapid, described on the official website as the most challenging point on the Yoshino River. The full-day and half-day whitewater courses are open to junior high school students and older, while elementary school students can join the family course through the gentler Oboke area.
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Guides offering “100% English support.”
The official website has an English edition and states that everything from the safety briefing to paddling instructions can be provided in English. All essential equipment—including a wetsuit, helmet, and life jacket—is included in the tour price, so you can participate with very little gear of your own. The full-day course also includes the operator's signature taco rice lunch.
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Experience the pilgrimage route's dramatic elevation changes in one city.
Miyoshi is also home to Unpenji, Temple No. 66 and the highest site on the Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage, at an elevation of 911 meters. A gorge viewed from river level and a temple above the clouds—experiencing Shikoku's natural vertical range within the same city is a special luxury of a pilgrimage journey.
Information
Prices, services, and booking procedures are current as of the time of writing and are subject to change.
- Nearest Temple：
- Unpenji, Temple No. 66 of the Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage (Hakkei, Ikeda-cho, Miyoshi); at 911 meters, it is the pilgrimage's highest temple. A ropeway runs from the foot of the mountain.
- Duration：
- Half-day course: approx. 3–3.5 hours; full-day course: approx. 7.5 hours (meet at 8:45 a.m.; finish around 4:30 p.m.); family course: approx. 3 hours
- Price：
- Family course from ¥5,000; half-day course from ¥7,000; full-day course from ¥9,000; FA Combo course from ¥9,800 (tax included). Prices vary by season, including Golden Week, summer vacation, and the Obon period. *As of September 2026; official website
- Language：
- English assistance available (English official website; the site advertises guides offering “100% English support”)
- Booking：
- Reservation required (24-hour online booking through the official website; telephone bookings also accepted). Tours operate from April through November.