Explore Naruto, the city of whirlpools at Shikoku's entrance

Overview

Naruto is the entrance point of Shikoku island and the beginning of the Shikoku Pilgrimage. The city attracts visitors with its cultural legacy and the natural phenomenon of the Naruto Whirlpools in the straits just outside of the center.

Highlights

• See the unique whirlpools of Naruto city
• Walk inside a giant suspension bridge
• Visit the first temple of the famous Shikoku Pilgrimage
• Discover the German House and village, an important cultural legacy from World War I

Description

Naruto in Tokushima prefecture is often considered the entrance to Shikoku island, as it's the closest located city to Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto. Naruto is famous for its natural phenomenon of impressive whirlpools formed in the Straits of Naruto just outside of the city's main center and under Onaruto Bridge which links Shikoku to Awaji island. Naruto is also the home of the first temple from the Shikoku Pilgrimage (which tours a total of 88 temples in the entire island).

In this private guided tour you will see some of Naruto's most famous highlights:

- Naruto Whirlpools, the unique symbol of the city.The whirlpools are formed at the place where the Pacific Ocean tides meet the Seto Inland Sea tides. In general the whirlpools appear seasonally and are most visible twice a day during the warm part of the year. Please ask in advance about the best time to see the whirlpools on the day of your visit. You will see them from "Uzu no Michi", a long glass corridor under the Onaruto Bridge. There are also some very good observatories from the seaside park, as well as a small museum explaining the natural formation of the whirlpools.

- Ryozenji Temple, the first of the 88 temples of the Shikoku Pilgrimage. Here you will learn more about the practices of the pilgrimage. You can also buy white robes, woven hats and other items which pilgrims use during their trip around Shikoku.

- the German House and German Village, a splendid museum which used to be a prison for German soldiers captured in the Pacific colonies during the World War I when Japan and Germany were enemies.

Although not included in this tour, Naruto city is home to Japan's biggest art gallery - Otsuka Museum of Art - which has hundreds of reproductions of famous Western paintings. Please ask your guide about the museum if you're interested to visit it after the tour.

Meeting Point

If coming by bus from Osaka/Kobe, stop at Naruto Koen-guchi bus stop on the highway just beside the whirlpool museum.
If coming from Shikoku, the meeting point will be Naruto Station.