Of the 47 prefectures in Japan, somehow Tokushima always manages to rank towards the bottom when it comes to perceived attractiveness. While it doesn’t necessarily come in last place, Tokushima Prefecture usually sits somewhere in the high 40s. This honestly breaks my heart because Tokushima is home to some of the top spots in Japan for rural countryside living. From the vine bridges of the Iya Valley to the whirlpools of Naruto and the Awa Odori dance festival, there is just so much to see in Tokushima.
On that note, if the prefecture is not on your radar for your next trip to Japan, know that this Tokushima travel guide was designed to change just that. For those of you not already aware, Tokushima is not located on Japan’s largest island of Honshu to the north, but instead on the eastern half of the comparatively small island of Shikoku (see this piece for a geographical refresher). Charmingly bucolic but also chock-full of things to see and do, Tokushima is a rural region that more overseas visitors to Japan need to skip the famous spots to explore.
Unlike Tokyo and Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto, Tokushima is largely free from the ill effects of overtourism that are plaguing mainland Japan. Despite its convenient location on the eastern side of Shikoku, few foreign tourists ever make it to Tokushima Prefecture. Part of this is likely due to the awareness gap, but this quaint countryside getaway has so much to offer. And unlike many other places in Japan, you won’t need to contend with the crowds when visiting Tokushima Prefecture.
In terms of history, Tokushima Prefecture is steeped in it. The Iya Valley, for example, is one of the most famous spots that the Taira clan of samurai fled to after their defeat at the hands of the Minamoto during the Genpei War. Here in the mountainous heart of Shikoku, time feels as if it has stood still. Likewise, Tokushima Prefecture’s historical legacy can also be felt in other ways, such as in its deep tradition of indigo dyeing and the vaunted Awa Odori dance.
All in all, if you’re looking for an area in Japan that is largely off the beaten path while also being well connected to the Kanto area, Tokushima Prefecture is just the getaway that you’re looking for. Hopefully, by the end of this article, I’ll be able to convey to you why it doesn’t deserve the low ranking that it routinely gets served on the Prefectural Attractiveness Ranking. After all, it’s high time that Tokushima Prefecture be put back on the digital maps of international visitors to Japan.
How to Get There
Before we get into what to see and do in Tokushima Prefecture, let’s do our due diligence and cover some key logistics. Unlike Kagawa Prefecture directly to the north, it’s a little bit more difficult to get to Tokushima by train. While it can be done, especially if you start with the Iya Valley, I can’t advise it for anyone coming down from Tokyo. At the end of the day, it’s better to just bite the bullet and fly down to Tokushima Awaodori Airport from Haneda.
Should you already be in the Kansai area, though, it’s really easy to hitch a ride down to Tokushima Station on a highway bus from Osaka. These buses travel down to the prefecture via the large island of Awajishima, one of the main gateways to Tokushima. Alternatively, you can also apparently take a Nankai Ferry from Wakayama. These ferries will take you across the stretch of water that separates Shikoku from the Kii Peninsula in around two hours, though I cannot say I’ve done the route myself.
In terms of how much time to commit, it depends on where you’re going in Tokushima Prefecture. That said, I would certainly budget for at least a few days. The Iya Valley alone is one of my 60 Japan trip anchors, and if you want to see what else the prefecture has on offer, you’re going to need a lot more time. Naruto City alone deserves a full day, as does the capital city of Tokushima Prefecture. All in all, if you add in the Iya Valley, you could easily spend upwards of a week just in Tokushima.
What to Do in Tokushima City
Truth be told, Tokushima City itself is not overflowing with major attractions. Beyond the Awa Odori Kaikan (which we will most certainly get to shortly), the prefectural capital is more useful as a convenient base than as the main event. That said, most visitors will pass through Tokushima Station at some point, and the city has enough to keep you occupied for the better part of a day. It is also well positioned for side trips to Naruto, the eastern temples of Shikoku’s Ohenro pilgrimage, and several other spots around the prefecture.
One of the easiest places to begin is Tokushima Central Park, which occupies the former grounds of Tokushima Castle. The original keep is long gone, but the park still contains sections of the old stonework as well as the Tokushima Castle Museum. Inside, the exhibits cover the history of the Hachisuka clan, which ruled the region during the Edo period (1603–1868), along with the development of the surrounding castle town. English explanations are somewhat limited, but the museum still provides some useful context for understanding how Tokushima grew into the city it is today. The nearby Tokushima Castle Omote Palace Garden is also worth a quick wander if you have the time.
Tokushima is also closely associated with Awa indigo dyeing, a craft that helped make the former Awa Province prosperous during the days of yesteryear. Travelers who want to try it for themselves can head to Aizome Kobo Ruafu, a small workshop within walking distance of Tokushima Station. Here, visitors can learn the basic dyeing process and create their own handkerchief, cloth, or similar souvenir to take home. Personally, I am not usually one to get excited about hands-on workshops, but Awa indigo is such an important part of Tokushima’s cultural identity that it is worth considering while you are in town.
Finally, no visit to Tokushima City would be complete without heading up Mt. Bizan. Rising directly behind the downtown area, the mountain takes its name from the Japanese characters for “eyebrow” and “mountain,” as its profile is said to resemble an eyebrow when viewed from different directions. The easiest way to reach the summit is via the ropeway connected to the Awa Odori Kaikan, making the two attractions simple to pair together. At the top, a park and several observation areas provide broad views over Tokushima City, the Yoshinogawa, and the surrounding countryside.
The Awa Odori Dance Festival
No feature on Tokushima Prefecture would be complete without mentioning the famous Awa Odori. This traditional dance is the undisputed cultural symbol of the region and has been performed in one form or another for more than four centuries. Its precise origins remain somewhat murky, with theories linking it to Bon Odori traditions, earlier group dances, and celebrations surrounding the completion of Tokushima Castle. Whatever the truth may be, the modern Awa Odori is performed by organized dance troupes known as ren, accompanied by shamisen, flutes, drums, and hand bells.
Tokushima City hosts its main Awa Odori festival every year from August 12 to 15, when the normally quiet prefectural capital is transformed into one enormous dance venue. Performances take place throughout the city center, ranging from tightly choreographed routines in designated viewing areas to more informal dancing in the surrounding streets. Each ren has its own costumes, formations, calls, and style of performance, giving the festival far more variety than first-time visitors might expect. Temporary groups also give complete beginners the chance to join the dancing rather than merely watching from the sidelines.
Thankfully, travelers do not need to visit Tokushima in the middle of August to experience the Awa Odori. The Awa Odori Kaikan, located near the base of Mt. Bizan, stages performances throughout the year and explains the history, costumes, music, and choreography behind the dance. The shows are designed to be approachable even for visitors who arrive knowing absolutely nothing about Awa Odori, and audience members are often invited to learn a few basic movements for themselves. Better yet, the building is connected directly to the ropeway leading up Mt. Bizan, making the two attractions easy to pair together.
The Whirlpools of Naruto City
Not to be confused with the lead character of the anime of the same name, one of Tokushima’s iconic attractions is the whirlpools of Naruto that the prefecture is well known for. These powerful vortices form in the narrow Naruto Strait between Shikoku and the island of Awajishima. As the tides move between the Seto Inland Sea and the Kii Channel, an enormous amount of water is forced through the small passage at high speeds. The resulting currents collide and swirl together, creating the whirlpools beneath the Great Naruto Bridge.
The best way to see the whirlpools is to take one of the sightseeing boats that travel directly into the Naruto Strait. Personally, I opted for the smaller Aqua Eddy, which has underwater windows that provide a look at the currents beneath the surface. Alternatively, the Uzu-no-Michi Walkway, extends beneath the Great Naruto Bridge and offers views from around 45 meters above the water. Whichever option you choose, be sure to consult the daily tide forecast beforehand, as the whirlpools only appear when the water is actively rushing through the strait.
While in Naruto City, don’t miss the Otsuka Museum of Art on the southern edge of Naruto Park. Rather than displaying original works, this enormous facility contains full-sized ceramic reproductions of famous pieces from throughout Western art history. Its galleries recreate everything from ancient frescoes and Renaissance masterpieces to works by the likes of Leonardo da Vinci and Johannes Vermeer. The museum is far larger than most visitors expect, so anyone with even a passing interest in art should leave several hours to explore it properly.
Logistically, Naruto City can be reached by bus from directly in front of Tokushima Station. Depending on the service, you may need to travel first to Naruto Station and transfer to a local bus bound for Naruto Park. The sightseeing boats, Uzu-no-Michi Walkway, bridge viewpoints, and Otsuka Museum of Art are all spread around the same general area, but seeing everything still takes time. For this reason, you will want to budget a full day for Naruto City alone, which is yet another reason why Tokushima Prefecture deserves more than just a day or two.
The Start of the Shikoku Pilgrimage
Also located in Naruto City is Ryozen-ji, the first temple of the Ohenro pilgrimage that circles the island of Shikoku. The temple grounds feature an impressive wooden gate, a carp pond, a small garden, and a two-story pagoda that dates back several centuries. Since this is where many pilgrims begin their journey, Ryozen-ji also has a large shop selling white robes, woven hats, walking staffs, stamp books, and just about everything else needed along the route. From Tokushima Station, take the JR Kotoku Line to Bando Station, from which the temple is around a ten-minute walk.
If you haven’t already heard of the Ohenro, know that it is a Buddhist pilgrimage connecting 88 temples associated with Kukai, the founder of Shingon Buddhism. The complete route stretches for well over 1,000 kilometers and circumnavigates the entirety of Shikoku, traditionally beginning at Ryozen-ji before continuing clockwise around the island. Completing the whole journey on foot can take around two months, though plenty of modern pilgrims travel by bicycle, car, or tour bus instead. It is also perfectly acceptable to tackle only a small portion of the pilgrimage rather than visiting all 88 temples in one go.
Tokushima Prefecture is home to the first 23 temples of the Ohenro, including several that are worthy destinations in their own right. One of the most impressive is Tairyu-ji, the 21st temple, which sits high in the mountains and is reached via one of the longest ropeways in western Japan. Farther south, Yakuo-ji serves as Temple 23 and is particularly famous for warding off bad luck. Its stairways contain 33 steps for women and 42 for men, corresponding to ages traditionally associated with misfortune. Together, these temples make it easy to sample part of the pilgrimage without committing to the entire circuit.
The Vine Bridges of the Iya Valley
My own fascination with the Iya Valley stretches all the way back to my university years, when I had a part-time gig that required me to arrive at a local community center at the crack of dawn. Since this was before smartphones gave us an endless supply of distractions, I would usually bring a book to kill time. On one especially cold morning, I somehow found myself engrossed in Alex Kerr’s Lost Japan, which left me with a lingering soft spot for this secluded part of Tokushima. This region is exactly the sort of rural destination that inspired this blog in the first place.
Historically speaking, the Iya Valley is most closely associated with the defeated Taira clan. Following their loss to the Minamoto during the Genpei War, some surviving warriors are believed to have fled into the mountainous heart of Shikoku to escape their pursuers. Considering how remote the Iya Valley remains even today, it is not hard to understand why they would have chosen this part of the country as a refuge. Far removed from the newly established shogunate in Kamakura, the region allowed the Taira holdouts to disappear into the mountains, where their legacy would become woven into the local culture and folklore.
The clearest symbol of this history is the Iya Valley’s collection of Kazurabashi vine bridges. According to local lore, the Taira constructed these crossings from vines so they could quickly cut them down if their pursuers ever found them. The easiest one to visit is located near the Kazurabashi Yumebutai complex, which can be reached by bus from Oboke Station. Suspended above the river, the bridge sways noticeably underfoot, while the gaps between the wooden slats provide a clear view of the water below. It is certainly unnerving, but I have also seen an entire class of high school students crossing at the same time, so these things are sturdier than they look.
Beyond the vine bridges, the Iya Valley has enough to keep visitors occupied for several days. Near Oboke Station, sightseeing boats cruise through Oboke Gorge, offering an easy way to admire the surrounding cliffs without contending with the mountain roads. Deeper into the valley, Ochiai Village is known for its traditional farmhouses, many of which appear to cling to the steep slopes. The best view comes from the Nakai Observation Point across the valley. Those venturing farther can also visit the village of Nagoro’s strange collection of human-sized scarecrows or continue toward Mt. Tsurugi.
Other Nearby Attractions
Tokushima Prefecture works especially well as the starting point for a one-way journey across Shikoku. After flying into Tokushima Awaodori Airport, you can explore the prefectural capital and Naruto City before gradually working your way west toward the Iya Valley. Ending this leg of the trip around Oboke Station leaves you with several convenient options for where to go next. From there, the Limited Express Nanpu travels north through Kagawa Prefecture to Okayama, where you can return to Honshu, or south through the mountains toward Kochi. This saves you from having to backtrack all the way to Tokushima City after exploring the Iya Valley.
Continuing south will bring you to Kochi Prefecture, a rugged region on Shikoku’s Pacific coast that deserves several days of its own. Kochi City is home to one of Japan’s twelve surviving original castle keeps, the delightfully boozy Hirome Market, and countless references to Sakamoto Ryoma, the famous samurai who helped bring about the end of the Tokugawa shogunate. Farther afield, the prefecture is blessed with natural attractions like the cobalt-blue Niyodogawa, Nakatsu Gorge, and the slow-moving Shimantogawa. Be sure to also try the local katsuo-no-tataki, which is so addictive that I ate almost nothing else during my four days in Kochi.
Alternatively, travelers heading north from Oboke Station can continue into Kagawa Prefecture before returning to Honshu via Okayama. Takamatsu makes a convenient final base and offers easy access to Ritsurin Garden, Yashima, and the art islands of the Seto Inland Sea. Farther inland, Kotohira is home to Kotohira-gu and pairs especially well with a journey through western Tokushima. Of course, no visit to Kagawa would be complete without eating an unreasonable amount of Sanuki udon. Between Kochi to the south and Kagawa to the north, the Iya Valley sits at a natural crossroads for anyone hoping to turn Tokushima into part of a much larger trip around Shikoku.
Until next time travelers…
