Tokushima
徳島県
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What to know about Tokushima
The powerful maelstroms of the world-famous Naruto Whirlpools, vine bridges swaying in remote mountain gorges, a museum displaying original-scale reproductions of Western masterpieces in ceramics, and Awa Odori passed down through 400 years of dancing. Tokushima Prefecture is a land where nature and culture coexist, each possessing distinct character.
The Naruto Whirlpools
The whirlpools that occur at the Naruto Strait rank among the world's three greatest tidal currents, alongside Italy's Messina Strait and Canada's Seymour Strait. During spring tides, tidal currents exceed 20 kilometers per hour, with whirlpool diameters reaching maximum widths of 20 to 30 meters. Among the world's largest by scale, the phenomenon peaks in dramatic power during spring and autumn tides.
Sightseeing boats allow close encounters with the whirlpools. For a view from above, the Uzu no Michi walkway on the Great Naruto Bridge offers an experience difficult to find elsewhere. Walking on glass flooring 45 meters above sea level while observing the swirling waters below creates an incomparable sensation.
The Vine Bridges of Iya
Spanning the Iya Gorge in Miyoshi is a suspension bridge woven from wild climbing vine. Measuring approximately 45 meters long and 2 meters wide, this structure holds designation as an Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property and undergoes complete reconstruction every three years. Legend holds that Heike clan members defeated in the Genpei War built the original from plants, constructing it to be severed instantly when pursued.
Iya is surrounded by peaks exceeding 1,000 meters in elevation, ranking among Japan's three major remote regions. Nearby, the Biwa Falls cascade approximately 50 meters, perpetuating tales of Heike refugees playing the biwa lute in nostalgia for the capital. Local specialties including Iya konnyaku and stone tofu dengaku on skewers showcase the region's distinctive cuisine.
Ōtsuka Museum of Art
Located in Naruto, this museum stands virtually unparalleled, displaying masterpieces rendered in ceramic tile. Over 1,000 Western paintings from 26 countries are reproduced in original scale through specialized ceramic tile technology. The facility, spanning three basement and two above-ground levels with total floor space of 29,412 square meters, ranks among Japan's largest privately operated museums.
Upon entering, visitors encounter the monumental frescoes of the Sistine Hall. Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper" appears in both pre- and post-restoration versions side by side, a globally rare opportunity to compare color shifts simultaneously. While the 3,300 yen admission ranks highest among Japanese museums, the density of content in this space justifies the investment.
Awa Odori
From August 12 to 15 each year, Tokushima City becomes immersed in dance. Awa Odori, possessing approximately 400 years of history, ranks among Japan's three major Obon dances and represents the nation's largest dance festival.
Various accounts trace its origins, including celebrations of Tokushima Castle's completion in 1587 or the blending of folk performance traditions with Obon dancing. Outside summer performances, the Awa Odori Kaikan in central Tokushima offers year-round viewing and participation experiences. The exhilaration of dancing to shamisen, drums, and hand gongs proves contagious even to observers.
Location
Where is Tokushima?
Located in the eastern part of Shikoku, Tokushima Prefecture sits at the convergence of the Kinki region and Shikoku. The prefectural capital is Tokushima City, which had a population of approximately 680,000 as of April 2025. This represents the smallest figure recorded since statistical tracking began in 1955, reflecting Japan's broader demographic decline.
Approximately 80 percent of the prefecture is mountainous, blessed with abundant natural landscapes. The Yoshino River, Shikoku's largest, flows through the northern region, with fertile plains spreading across its watershed. The south and west are dominated by mountains, where rivers like the Naka and Katsuura carve through deep valleys. To the east lies a continuous coastline facing the Kii Channel.
The climate is characterized by relative warmth due to the influence of the Kuroshio Current. Summers bring high heat and humidity with frequent typhoons, while coastal winters tend to be mild and snow in mountainous areas remains limited. The seasonal changes throughout the year have long sustained agricultural and fishing activities.
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Access
Getting to Tokushima
Air access is convenient. Tokushima Awa Odori Airport operates ten daily round-trip flights from Tokyo's Haneda Airport with a flight time of approximately one hour ten minutes. Two daily flights also connect to Fukuoka. Located about 13 kilometers from central Tokushima City, the airport is reached by bus or taxi in approximately 20 minutes.
By rail from Tokyo, take the Tōkaidō Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka in approximately two hours thirty minutes, then transfer to the JR Kōtoku Line Limited Express Uzushio bound for Tokushima in approximately two hours thirty minutes. Total travel time is between five and a half and six hours. From Osaka, conventional JR service takes approximately two and a half hours, or express bus options provide an alternative.
An overnight express coach from Tokyo represents another option, arriving in approximately nine hours. The advantage of sleeping during transit makes this choice appealing. Express buses operate frequently from Osaka and Kobe as well.
Movement within the prefecture centers on JR Shikoku railway lines and route buses. Mountain areas have limited bus service, so checking schedules in advance proves worthwhile. Bus tours and taxi services deserve consideration depending on specific destinations.
Local pride
Specialty Products
Blessed with a warm climate and the fertile soil of the Yoshino River watershed, this has been an agricultural region since ancient times. Beyond fruit cultivation including citrus and vegetables, the fisheries of the rich Kii Channel waters are treasured local products. Marine resources shaped by intense tidal currents develop firm flesh and distinctive flavors.
During the Edo period, indigo plant cultivation reached the largest scale in the nation, supporting the regional economy through indigo-related industries. This tradition has never disappeared, continuing through hand-made washi paper, ceramics, and other locally rooted crafts.
Food
Crafts & Others
Through the ages
History of Tokushima
Tokushima's history begins in ancient times as Awa Province under the ritsuryō legal system. The Imbe clan cultivated hemp and hemp mallow, presenting woven cloth to the imperial court, seeding the region's fiber-related industries at this early stage. During the medieval period, the Hosokawa clan, powerful figures of the Muromachi shogunate, served as provincial governors and prospered through Shōzui Castle as their administrative center.
In 1585, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's retainer Hachisuka Iemasa entered Awa and built Tokushima Castle. Beyond organizing the castle town, Iemasa recruited indigo cultivation experts from Harima in 1615 and established the Indigo Bureau in 1625 to manage indigo farming and production. The Yoshino River regularly flooded, delivering fresh soil that prevented crop fatigue and creating ideal conditions for indigo cultivation. Through successive lords' protection and encouragement across the Edo period, Awa indigo dominated the national market by the 1700s, eventually reaching 15,000 hectares at its peak. The Hachisuka family, ruling as a major daimyō of approximately 250,000 koku, governed the domain for roughly 280 years until the end of the shogunate.
From the late Meiji period onward, cheap Indian indigo and imported synthetic dyes caused the indigo industry to contract rapidly. Yet the culture nurtured alongside indigo persists. Awa Odori, tracing its roots to Obon dancing and spanning approximately 400 years of history, continues as Japan's largest dance festival, held annually from August 12 to 15. Following the prefectural reorganization of 1871, Tokushima Domain became Tokushima Prefecture, the name derived from the castle's location.
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