Tourism is becoming a bright spot in the economy now that foreign visitors are venturing beyond the well-trodden "golden route" encompassing Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.
Oboke-Iya, a mountainous district upstream of the Yoshino River in Shikoku, has been one of the beneficiaries. Some 9,900 tourists stayed at five hotels in the area in 2015, up 18-fold from 2007.
Foreigners now account for 15 percent of all visitors to the district, which is about two hours' drive from Tokushima.