Not only in Japan, but also from abroad, skilled foreign rafting guides want to go down at least once! That is, the Yoshino River, a first-class river that flows from Ehime Prefecture through Kochi Prefecture to Tokushima Prefecture.
Since the Rafting World Championships held in 2017, the river has become increasingly famous, and there is no end to the number of core rafting fans from Japan and overseas. In the holy land of rafting, you can experience the rapids in half a day with this Oboke Short Tour!
Oboke Short Rafting Tour Menu
Short Rafting Tour Recommendations!
Oboke Short Rafting Tour
A short tour of the rapids in a compact package
The Oboke Short Tour starts at the Kochi side, upstream from the Long Tour. The whole tour is 4km long. This is one of the best short rafting tours in Japan, packed with rapids in a compact size! You can choose between morning and afternoon rafting, so it is easy to plan if you are a budget traveler who wants to enjoy sightseeing and other activities in addition to rafting!
Introduction to Oboke Short Rafting Course
There are 4 big rapids and 10 small rapids in this 3-hour tour. This tour is open to junior high school students and above, and you can experience real whitewater rafting. This tour is very popular with adult groups of rafting beginners, as well as families with children of junior high school age and above!
Only at HappyRaft!
The finish line is below the base of HappyRaft. After landing on the shore, there will be mini trek. At the end of the tour, you will return to the base on your own. (about 1 minute) We have less time to travel back than other companies, so we can have more fun on the river! Before and after the tour, you can also enjoy HappyRaft's famous homemade bagel sandwiches. They are so popular that some people come to HappyRaft just to buy bagels! Come and try it for yourself!
Difference from Koboke Long Rafting Tour
How to choose? We recommend this tour for people who
- Want to leave home slowly in the morning and play in the afternoon!
- Want to use either the morning or afternoon for other sightseeing.
- Those who are worried about the biggest rapids in Japan from the beginning.
- Short! Compact! I want to play hard!
Course
km
The Koboke Long Tour is about 9km long and starts upstream from the Long Tour.
Intensity
Grade(Max5)
A little gentler than the Long Tour, but still enough to satisfy first-time rafters. For those who have rafted other rivers in Japan before, this course will be a step up challenge!
Time required
hours
This course takes about 3 hours from registration to the end. This is about half of the Koboke Long Course. Time spent on the river is about 1.5 hours.
Conditions of participation, fees, and other information about the tour
| Participation Requirements | Junior high school students and older ※15 years old or younger must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. ※For minors, a parent or guardian must sign the participation agreement. ※Please bring something to confirm your child's age on the day. |
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| Price |
※Repeat Customer Discount: Returning customers get an additional ¥500 off！ (Please bring your member's card on the tour day) ※The price is the same for both adults and children. ※High Season Pricing (2025): For the following dates: July 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 August 2, 3, 9–11, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31 September 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21 ※Obon season: August 13-15 ※Regular price: For all other dates not included in the high season or Obon period. |
| How to pay | In order to ensure smooth reception on the day of your visit, we kindly ask you to pay in advance. ※Credit card payment can be made at the time of reservation through the website or at the site on the day of the tour. 【Advance payment methods.】 ①Bank transfer ②Credit card payment (MasterCard, VISA card) - Available for bookings made via the website. 【Payment on the day of the tour】 ①PayPay ②Credit card payment (MasterCard, VISA card, Union Pay, JCB, American Express, Diners club, DISCOVER) ③ Cash payment In the case of cash payment, the representative person should make the payment together. |
Cancellation | If you need to change your booking or cancel it entirely, please contact us as soon as possible to avoid any cancellation fees. Cancellation fees are as follows: 1 week – 2 days before Tour ~ Cancellation fee = 30% 1 day (24 hrs) before Tour ~ Cancellation fee = 50% Day of booked tour ~ Cancellation fee = 100% ※HappyRaft decides to cancel a tour due to weather, water conditions, or disaster, all tour fees will be refunded. ※ Please note that arriving more than 30 minutes late for any HappyRaft tour may result in cancellation and a cancellation fee may be incurred.
※For cancellations or changes, please contact us by phone, email (booking@happyraft.com) or SMS (090-1000-8184).
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| Included in the tour price |
※During the cold season, you can wear wet suits in layers and wet socks are available. ※Boat charter available (additional fee required). If you wish to charter a boat, please contact us as soon as possible. We may not be able to meet your charter request depending on availability. |
| Tour period | March - October |
| Minimum number of participants | 2 person minimum. ※Tours require a minimum of 2 participants to proceed. Single bookings are accepted, however, tours are subject to cancellation if fewer than 2 participants are confirmed. |
| Meeting and dismissal time | Morning tour 8:45am (7/15th- 8/27th, 9/2, 9/3, 9/9, 9/10, 9/16-18, 9/23, 9/24),
9:15am (excluding 8:45am days from 4/29- 9/30), 9:45am (1st March-28th April,1st October-31st October) Afternoon tour 1:15pm-4:30pm ※Meeting time may vary depending on the day of the tour, so please check your email for details. |
| Meeting/dismissal point | At HappyRaft base |
| Parking | Right next to HappyRaft base Free parking available Parking for 40 passenger cars or 4 large buses |
| Changing rooms | available separate for men and women (no showers, but outdoor hoses are available for a splash down shower...its cold ) |
| What to bring and wear |
※In cold weather, wetsuits are layered to protect against the cold. |
| About taking photos and selling photos | We will take photos and videos during the tour with a waterproof camera! When there are many boats, we also take pictures from land with a telephoto camera. You can view the slideshow after the tour and purchase the photos for 1,000 yen per group if you wish. ※You can also bring your own camera, but we do not recommend this as it is often lost or broken and can cause injury. |
Precaution
- If there is a possibility that the tour will be canceled due to heavy rain caused by a typhoon, we will contact you. If it rains normally, the tour will go ahead. If there is a high possibility that the tour will be canceled due to a typhoon, we will contact you at least 3 to 4 days in advance. We will also call you the day before the tour for final confirmation and let you know the situation at that time.
- Depending on the weather and the amount of water, the course may be changed, the tour itself may be canceled, or it may be difficult for children to participate even if adults can. We will inform you as soon as we know, but please understand that we may contact you on the day of the tour.
- Those who are under the influence of alcohol or have a hangover will not be allowed to participate in the tour. If you fall into any of the above categories, you will not be allowed to participate in the tour even if you arrive on the day of the tour. (The tour fee will not be refunded. Please understand.
- About using a car navigation system
If you are using a car navigation system, please search for “Tosa-iwahara Station on the JR Dosan Line". If you search for a phone number, address, or HappyRaft, you will be directed to the old address of HappyRaft or a mountain road, which can cause a lot of trouble.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q、Is it okay for beginners?
Please do not worry. Please listen carefully to the guide's safety explanation before the tour. Experienced guides with RAJ (Japan Rafting Association) river guide certification will accompany you. Our guides have been trained to ensure that the tour is fun and safe. If you are new to rafting and are still worried about your safety, you can try the Oboke short tour first!
Q、Is it okay if I'm not confident in my physical strength?
It's okay. In the rapids, we work together to paddle the boat, but in the slower currents, we go down slowly or float on the surface of the river and let ourselves be swept along. Even those who are not confident in their physical strength can enjoy this tour.
Q、Is it possible for a group of adults to ride together with a group of children?
There is carpooling with groups that include children of junior high school age or older, but not with groups that include elementary school age children.
Q、I'm thinking of doing some sightseeing or other activities in the remaining half day, do you have any recommendations?
Obviously check out our canyoning page or the trekking page!
30 minutes drive, you can visit the Iya-Valley vine bridge. The Unpenji Temple (Temple 66 on the Shikoku Temple Pilgrimage) is an amazing temple approximately 1 hour drive from HappyRaft
Please check this page too.
Q、 We are coming from far away and are not sure if we should take a day trip or stay overnight
I recommend staying here!
The inn is a renovated old house in the mountains, where you can spend time in nature that is completely different from your daily life.
After rafting, you can have a barbecue at the guesthouse and have a beer and a Kanpai!
The next day after a day of fun and drinking, wake up to the sound of birds chirping, take a walk around the inn, try the trekking course, or play in the nearby river.
You can meditate or read in the great outdoors. If you have come all this way, rafting is not the only thing you should do. Please enjoy the surrounding wilderness as well!
HappyRaft's guesthouse can be booked together with the tour.
Of course you can stay the day before the tour!
Happyraft Guest House >
Accommodations in the area >
Otoyo Town HP >
About Trekking >
Q、How long can I play on the river?
It takes about 3 hours from the time of meeting to the end of the tour, but if you subtract the time for registration, changing clothes, transportation, post-tour slide show, etc., the actual time spent in the river is about 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Q、Is there any diving from the rocks?
You can participate in a diving competition from a rock about 3 meters high (depending on the water level and other conditions). Of course, you are free to participate and stay on the boat to watch.
Tour Flow
Assembly / Reception
Thanks for the drive! When you arrive at HappyRaft Base, please first enjoy the great outdoors and feel the nice breeze while looking at the Yoshino River. After registration, sign the consent form and other necessary documents.
Briefing on the tour / Start changing your clothes
Explanation of the general schedule for the day and the contents of the tour. Around this time, both the guests and the guides start to get excited! Let's go!
Move to the riverbank / safety briefing / practice in the toro area (where the current is calm)
After everyone has changed clothes, it's time to go. While suppressing your excitement, the guide will take you on a bus ride with funny talks. When we arrived at the riverbank, we had a safety briefing. Then we boarded each boat and were introduced to the team members and guides. Practice how to paddle and how to hold on.
Start the whitewater rafting!
The total distance is 4km, including 4 large and violent rapids, with small rapids and calm areas in between the rapids. In between the rapids, there are small rapids and calm areas where we can jump from boats and rocks, and play games with boats. You can jump into the water from a boat or a rock, or play games with a boat, or just float around in a calm place, looking up at the sky without thinking. There are endless ways to have fun.
Goal
After safely clearing the last rapids, we were almost at the finish line when we saw the red bridge near the HappyRaft base. Use your last bit of energy to jump off the boat! You can swim as hard as you can, or just float around and enjoy the aftermath. A one-minute walk up from the riverside will take you back to the HappyRaft Base, where you can register and change your clothes.
Change clothes/view slideshow of tour photos
After returning to the HappyRaft base and changing clothes, we'll have a look at the photos from today's tour. Don't forget to take a photo with all the friends you met today! Free dismissal.
