Naruto
・You can see the whirlpools up close
・Otsuka Museum of Art where you can enjoy masterpieces from around the world
【City description】
Naruto, located in the northeast of Tokushima Prefecture, is home to the Naruto Strait, one of the world’s three largest whirlpools, along with those in Italy and Canada. If you time it right, you can actually see the whirlpools. The huge Otsuka Museum of Art, where you can see replicas of paintings from around the world, is also popular.
【Overall rating】
★★★★☆
【Time required】
8 h
【Budget】
6800 yen
【Fatigue】
★★★☆☆
Check out Tokushima sightseeing here!!
Before sightseeing
The whirlpools are not always there, but occur twice a day at high tide and low tide. You can find out what time you can see the whirlpools on the following website. If you are going to visit Naruto, be sure to check the whirlpool times in advance and plan your trip accordingly.
Time table (Uzu no Michi Website)
https://www.uzunomichi.jp/lang_en/#calender
Whirlpools also come in different sizes, and the time they occur and how impressive they are depend on their size.
・ Large Whirlpools : occur 2 hours before and after the displayed time
・ Medium Whirlpools : occur 1.5 hours before and after the displayed time
・ Small Whirlpools : occur 1 hour before and after the displayed time
The best time for observation is during spring tides, so check the tide table and plan your schedule accordingly.
Access
If you want to use public transportation to get to the Naruto tourist area, the following options are available.
Bus from Tokushima Station
Take bus number 17 or 18 from the bus terminal in front of the station.
Time required: 1 hour
Fare: 870 yen
Tokushima buses do not accept transportation IC cards such as Suica, so payment must be made in cash.
Bus from Naruto Station
Take bus number 17, 18, 97, or 98 from the bus stop in front of the station.
Time required : 20 minutes
Fare : 350 yen
Payment is also by cash.
Express bus
If you are coming from far away, such as the Kansai region, you can also use the express bus. I recommend getting off at Naruto Park or Otsuka Museum of Art.
For more information, please click here.
Express Bus Time table
https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/?sub_lang=nosub
Itinerary Map
Navigation
【Start】①②Whirlpools sightseeing boat
★Route time required：15 min
If you go uphill from the Gupo Exit, you will come to a staircase at the crosswalk. At the top, there is an observation deck.
★Route time required：5 min
If you follow the road, you will see a cylindrical building.
★Route time required：5 min
After leaving the building, go left and down the road, and you will see the entrance to your next destination on your right.
★Route time required：5 min
Once you exit Uzu-no-michi onto the road, turn right and follow the road until you reach a square.
★Route time required：5 min
Continue along the road and you will see a downhill slope on your right. Going down the slope will take you into the hotel parking lot. Continue going up the slope ahead on the left and you will reach the observation deck at the end.
★Route time required：10 min
Returning to the road, exit the hotel parking lot and you will see a tunnel in front of you. Go through it. After exiting the tunnel, turn left and you will see a building with a cafe and souvenir shop. Enter inside, buy a ticket from the ticket machine and take the escalator.
★Route time required：15 min
When you leave the building, go through the parking lot in front of you and follow the stairs that lead down to the road. There is a bus stop at the first corner, so get on the bus and get off in front of the Otsuka Museum of Art (170 yen).
【Goal】
Bus stop: Otsuka Museum of Art
Click the square mark on the top left of the map to see a list of tourist spots. If you open the enlarge button on the top right corner on your smartphone, this model course will be displayed on Google Maps along with its location information. You can also quickly return to this map from the table of contents in the sidebar (if using a smartphone, select “Go to table of contents” from the menu at the bottom of the screen).
【Start】
①②Whirlpools sightseeing boat
This is a sightseeing boat that lets you see the Naruto whirlpools up close. There are two main companies, so you can choose which one to use, but the boarding points are different, so access is also different.
①Uzushio Sighstseeing Boat
Time required : 30 min
Admission fee：1800 yen
Opening hour：Every 40 minutes from 9 am
Close：In bad weather
Access : When you get off at the Naruto Tourist Port bus stop, the ticket office will be right in front of you.
There are two sizes of boats, a large one and a small one. On the small boat you can see the whirlpools from underwater (reservations required).
Official Site
https://www.uzusio.com/en/
②Uzushio Kisen
Time required : 30 min
Admission fee：1600 yen
(Common ticket for Uzu-no-michi : 1850 yen)
Opening hour：When whirlpools occur
Close：In bad weather
Access: Get off at the bus stop Gupoguchi and head towards the port where you will find the ticket booth.
Only small boats are available. If you want to board before 9 am, you should use this boat, as it departs at the time of the whirlpools. There is also a combined ticket for the Uzu-no-michi tour, so it is a good deal.
Official Site
https://www.uzushio-kisen.com/en
★Route time required：15 min
If you go uphill from the Gupo Exit, you will come to a staircase at the crosswalk. At the top, there is an observation deck.
③Ochaen Observation Deck
Time required : 10 min
This is one of the four observation decks from which you can see the Onaruto Bridge, and it has a great view. It is the only one of the four observation decks from which you can see the Onaruto Bridge from the right hand side.
★Route time required：5 min
If you follow the road, you will see a cylindrical building.
④Eddy Onaruto Bridge Memorial Hall
Time required : 40 min
Admission fee：620 yen
(Common ticket for Uzu-no-michi : 900 yen)
Opening hour：9 am – 5 pm
Close：No
This is a facility where you can learn about the Onaruto Bridge and whirlpools. The facility introduces bridges in Japan and around the world, including the construction of the Onaruto Bridge. You can learn about whirlpools while listening to explanations of the mechanism of whirlpools and experiencing things like viewing whirlpools using 3D goggles. You can also learn about the Naruto area, including the rooftop observation deck and the flora and fauna of Naruto.
★Route time required：5 min
After leaving the building, go left and down the road, and you will see the entrance to your next destination on your right.
⑤Uzu-no-Michi Walkway
Time required : 40 min
Admission fee：510 yen
Opening hour：9 am – 6 pm
(until 5 pm from October to February,
8 am – 7 pm in Golden Week and summer vacation)
Close：2nd Mondays of March, June, September and December
This is a facility where you can see the whirlpools from directly above. If you go to the observation deck via the passageway (450m) under the Onaruto Bridge, you can see the ocean 45m below from a glass platform. The glass under your feet is made up of three layers, with the top layer being replaced every year, so you can rest assured. The site was originally built for the Shikoku Shinkansen and is now used as an observation facility, and remnants of that can be seen from the entrance and exit.
★Route time required：5 min
Once you exit Uzu-no-michi onto the road, turn right and follow the road until you reach a square.
⑥Senjojiki
Time required : 15 min
The second observation deck overlooks the Onaruto Bridge, and is also the closest place to see the bridge. It is the most touristy spot, with souvenir shops, restaurants, and photo spots. The sea bream rice bowl is especially famous.
★Route time required：5 min
Continue along the road and you will see a downhill slope on your right. Going down the slope will take you into the hotel parking lot. Continue going up the slope ahead on the left and you will reach the observation deck at the end.
⑦Magosaki Lighthouse
Time required : 10 min
This is the third observation deck and is characterized by its lighthouse.
★Route time required：10 min
Returning to the road, exit the hotel parking lot and you will see a tunnel in front of you. Go through it. After exiting the tunnel, turn left and you will see a building with a cafe and souvenir shop. Enter inside, buy a ticket from the ticket machine and take the escalator.
⑧Esukahiru Naruto
Time required : 40 min
Admission fee：400 yen
Opening hour：9 am – 5 pm
Close：No
This is the last observation deck from which you can see the Onaruto Bridge. To get to the observation deck, take the 68 m long escalator and go to the rooftop of the building at the end. It is the highest point in the area and offers a 360°panoramic view of not only the Onaruto Bridge and Awaji Island, but also the Tokushima side. The difference in elevation between the ground and the observation deck is 34 m, which was the highest in the Orient when it was built.
★Route time required：15 min
When you leave the building, go through the parking lot in front of you and follow the stairs that lead down to the road. There is a bus stop at the first corner, so get on the bus and get off in front of the Otsuka Museum of Art (170 yen).
⑨Otsuka Museum of Art
Time required : 4 h
Admission fee：3300 yen
Opening hour：9h30 am – 5 pm
Close：Monday
This museum displays reproductions of famous Western paintings from 26 countries around the world. It was opened in 1998 by the Otsuka Pharmaceutical Group to commemorate the 75th anniversary of its founding. The building has two floors above ground and three below, and displays approximately 1,000 full-size works, including many that you may have seen in textbooks, such as the Mona Lisa, the Birth of Venus, Guernica, and Munch’s “The Scream.” In the courtyard, there are paintings of water lilies by Monet, famous for his Impressionism, along with actual plants. Because the museum is so huge, it will take about four hours to look around carefully, so I recommend combining your visit with a visit to the whirlpools.
【Goal】
Bus stop: Otsuka Museum of Art
From here you will board a bus to return to your starting point.
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