Naruto/ Tokushima City[Tokushima]

Q. Access

A. train, JR local lines, airport

Q. Naruto Ohashi bridge

Q. How big and what is Naruto like? 

A. Naruto is famous for its incredible often huge whirlpools, up to 20 meters across. 

The Naruto Strait lies in between Naruto and Awaji Island and the whirlpools form when the waters of the Seto Inland Sea collide with the powerful currents of the Kii Channel. The whirlpools appear each time the tides change and are at their largest in the spring and autumn when the tides raise sea levels by more than a meter. Whirpools have reached a swirling 20 meters in diameter.

Q. Otsuka Museum of Art

A. Not far from the Onaruto Bridge is the Otsuka Museum of Art. With the largest exhibition space in Japan, the museum has a vast collection of artwork, including over 1,000 accurate replicas on ceramic panels of everything from Western masterpieces to murals. There is a complete to scale faithful reproduction of Michelangelo's ceiling and The Last Judgment of the Sistine Chapel.

Q. Naruto German House

A. Other sights in the Naruto area include the Naruto German House, a museum which remembers some one thousand German soldiers that were held in Naruto as prisoners of war during World War I. 

Naruto is home to Ryozenji Temple , an important Buddhist temple founded in the 8th century that is the first temple along The Shikoku Henro, or 88 Temple Pilgrimage

Q. Mt. Bizan

A. Mt. Bizan is easily accessible from Tokushima City. A 10-minute walk from the train station will take you to a ropeway that whisks you up to the summit in even less time. This is a great place to see cherry blossoms in the spring and the gorgeous changing leaves in the autumn. 

Q. Awa Odori

A. While Tokushima City usually is fairly reserved, the city transforms each year from August 12 to 15 as nearly 1.2 million people including spectators and dancers from all over Japan and the world, gather in the downtown area for the Awa-Odori Festival . Awa-Odori dance has a history of more than 400 years and is so popular that it is performed in other regions of Japan including Tokyo.