Tokushima · Things to do
Things to Do in Tokushima: 16 Places with Hours, Prices and Access
16 things to do · checked October 23, 2026
16 things to do in Tokushima: the city, Naruto, the Iya Valley and Wakimachi
Hours, prices and access checked against each place's own page on October 23, 2026. They change; check before you go.
1Awa Odori Kaikan阿波おどり会館
Dance hall and museum · Tokushima city, foot of Mt. Bizan
A city-run hall where Awa Odori is danced on stage every day of the year. Daytime shows (40 minutes) at 11:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00 are by the hall's own troupe; the 20:00 evening show (50 minutes) is by a different well-known dance group each night. Both include a part where the audience can try the dance.
- Access
- About 10 minutes on foot from JR Tokushima Station. Address: 2-20 Shinmachibashi. The Mt. Bizan ropeway leaves from the 5th floor.
- Hours
- Daytime shows 11:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 · evening show 20:00 · museum (3F) 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:45
- Closed on
- Second Wednesday of February, June, September and December (next day if a holiday); 28 December–1 January. Next closure: 9 December 2026
- Price
- Daytime show: adults ¥1,300, elementary and junior high ¥700 · evening show: adults ¥1,600, children ¥800 · museum: ¥500, children ¥300
2Mt. Bizan Ropeway眉山ロープウエイ
Ropeway and viewpoint · Tokushima city
A ropeway from the 5th floor of Awa Odori Kaikan to the top of Mt. Bizan, about 6 minutes each way. On a clear day the view takes in the Yoshino River, the Onaruto Bridge and Awaji Island, and sometimes the Kii Peninsula.
Closes at 17:30 from 1 November.
- Access
- Inside Awa Odori Kaikan (5F), about 10 minutes on foot from JR Tokushima Station.
- Hours
- 1 April–31 October 9:00–21:00 · 1 November–31 March 9:00–17:30 · 25 October 2026 until 17:30 (fireworks night)
- Closed on
- Runs 28 December–1 January while the Kaikan is closed (1 January from 6:00); may stop in bad weather
- Price
- Junior high and over: ¥900 one way, ¥1,500 round trip · elementary: ¥500 one way, ¥800 round trip
3Awa Odori festival徳島市阿波おどり
Summer dance festival · Tokushima city centre
Tokushima's street dance festival, held every year from 11 to 15 August across the city centre, with ticketed stands and free dance spots. The organisers say it draws more than a million visitors.
11–15 August every year.
- Access
- Central Tokushima, around JR Tokushima Station.
- Hours
- Every year 11–15 August; the 2027 programme had not been published on 23 October 2026
4Tokushima Castle Museum and Tokushima Central Park徳島城博物館・徳島中央公園
History museum and castle grounds · Tokushima city
A city history museum in the park on the old Tokushima Castle site. A museum ticket also lets you into the garden of the former castle's Omote-goten palace.
- Access
- About 10 minutes on foot from JR Tokushima Station; 5 minutes from the Tokushima-koen Washi-no-mon-mae city bus stop.
- Hours
- 9:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
- Closed on
- Mondays (open if a holiday); the day after a holiday (open if it falls on a weekend or holiday); 28 December–2 January; 25 November 2026 (exhibition preparation)
- Price
- Adults ¥300; high school and university ¥200; junior high and under free (special exhibitions cost more)
5Uzushio Kisen whirlpool boatうずしお汽船
Whirlpool sightseeing boat · Naruto, Kameura fishing port
A small high-speed boat (86 passengers) that goes out to the Naruto whirlpools for about 20 minutes. No booking needed; outside Golden Week and the Obon holidays there is usually little or no wait, and a full boat means the next one, every 30 minutes.
- Access
- Kameura fishing port behind the Otsuka Museum of Art. Nearest route bus stop: Kameuraguchi. By car, 2 km from Naruto-kita IC.
- Hours
- Every 30 minutes; may not sail in rough weather
- Price
- Adults ¥2,000; elementary ¥1,000; one preschool child free per adult. Cash only
6Uzu no Michi渦の道
Glass-floor walkway over the whirlpools · Naruto Park
A walkway inside the Onaruto Bridge girder, 45 m above the whirlpools, ending in an observation room with glass windows in the floor over the Naruto Strait. Its site shows each day's whirlpool times; at some hours there are none. A combined ticket with Eddy, the bridge museum 3 minutes away, costs less than two tickets.
- Access
- Route bus from JR Tokushima Station (Tokushima Bus, about 80 minutes) or JR Naruto Station (about 25 minutes) to Naruto Koen, then 5 minutes on foot. Highway buses from Kansai stop at Naruto Koen-guchi (from Sannomiya about 1 hour 20 minutes).
- Hours
- March–September 9:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30) · Golden Week and summer holidays 8:00–19:00 · October–February 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
- Closed on
- Second Monday of March, June, September and December; 14–16 December 2026
- Price
- Adults ¥510; junior high and high school ¥410; elementary ¥260; under 6 free · with Eddy: adults ¥900
7Eddy (Onaruto Bridge Memorial Museum)大鳴門橋架橋記念館エディ
Museum about the whirlpools and the bridge · Naruto Park
A hands-on museum about how the whirlpools form and how the Onaruto Bridge was built, about 3 minutes on foot from Uzu no Michi. The operators suggest about 30 minutes for each of the two.
- Access
- Naruto Park, 2 minutes on foot from the Naruto Koen bus stop.
- Hours
- 9:00–17:00, open every day; may close for equipment maintenance
8Otsuka Museum of Art大塚国際美術館
Art museum · Naruto Park
A museum of full-size ceramic-board reproductions of Western paintings from 26 countries. Day tickets are sold until 16:00, and you can leave and come back the same day.
- Access
- In Naruto Park. Direct highway buses from Osaka (about 2 hours), Kobe (about 1 hour 30 minutes) and Takamatsu (about 1 hour 30 minutes). By car, nearest exit Naruto-kita IC.
- Hours
- 9:30–17:00 (tickets sold until 16:00)
- Closed on
- Mondays (the next day if a holiday); consecutive closing days in January; open every day in August
- Price
- At the door: adults ¥3,300; university ¥2,200; elementary to high school ¥550 · advance tickets ¥3,160 / ¥2,140 / ¥530
9Ryozenji (Temple 1)霊山寺
Buddhist temple, Shikoku pilgrimage Temple 1 · Naruto, Bando
The first of the 88 temples on the Shikoku pilgrimage, a route of about 1,460 km. Pilgrims walking the temples in order start here.
- Access
- 126 Tsukahana, Bando, Oasa-cho, Naruto. By car from Aizumi IC via Prefectural Routes 1 and 12. Free parking.
10Naruto German House鳴門市ドイツ館
History museum · Naruto, Bando
Naruto city's museum about the Bando camp, where German prisoners of war from the First World War were held from 1917 to 1920, and the place where Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was first performed in Japan.
- Access
- About 25 minutes on foot or 5 minutes by taxi from JR Bando Station; Tokushima Bus from JR Naruto Station to the Doitsukan stop.
- Hours
- 9:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
- Closed on
- Fourth Monday of the month (next day if a holiday); 28–31 December
- Price
- Adults ¥400; elementary and junior high ¥100
11Iya Kazurabashi vine bridge祖谷のかずら橋
Vine suspension bridge · Iya Valley, Nishi-Iyayama
A 45 m footbridge of woven shirakuchi vines, 14 m above the river, a nationally designated Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property. It is rebuilt every three years: from 12 January to about the end of February 2027 it cannot be crossed and the night lighting is off.
No crossing 12 January–about end of February 2027 (rebuilding).
- Access
- From JR Oboke Station, Shikoku Kotsu bus to Kazurabashi Yume Butai, then 5 minutes on foot. By car about 1 hour from Ikawa-Ikeda IC; parking at Kazurabashi Yume Butai (¥500 per car).
- Hours
- April–June 8:00–18:00 · July–August 7:30–18:30 · September–March 8:00–17:00 (the bridge entrance closes at these times)
- Closed on
- Open every day, rain included; closed in heavy-rain warnings; no crossing 12 January–about end of February 2027 (rebuilding, may run late with snow)
- Price
- Junior high and over ¥550; elementary ¥350; preschool free
12Oboke Gorge sightseeing boat大歩危峡観光遊覧船
River sightseeing boat · Oboke, Yamashiro
A 30-minute round trip (4 km) on the Yoshino River through Oboke Gorge, whose 100–200-million-year-old schist cliffs are a national natural monument and scenic spot.
- Access
- Shikoku Kotsu bus from JR Oboke Station to Obokekyo, right by the landing; or about 25 minutes on foot from the station.
- Hours
- 9:00–17:00 (last boat 16:30)
- Closed on
- Open every day; does not sail in strong wind or high water
- Price
- Adults ¥1,800; age 3 to elementary ¥900
13Iya Gorge and the Shoben Kozo statue祖谷渓・小便小僧
Gorge viewpoint · Iya Valley
A deep V-shaped gorge with the emerald Iya River far below, coloured from top to bottom in autumn. A small statue stands on a rock jutting over the cliff, recalling a local tale of children and travellers testing their nerve there.
- Access
- Shikoku Kotsu bus from JR Oboke Station (for Kazurabashi Yume Butai): Kunigataki stop for the Hinoji Gorge, Iya Onsen-mae stop then 5 minutes on foot for the statue. By car about 50 minutes from Ikawa-Ikeda IC.
- Price
- Free
14Ochiai village and viewpoint落合集落・落合集落展望所
Mountain village (preservation district) · Higashi-Iya
A village on a steep slope above the meeting of the Iya and Ochiai rivers, with houses from the mid-Edo period to the early Showa era, stone walls and fields. Selected as a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 2005.
- Access
- Shikoku Kotsu bus from JR Oboke Station (for Kubo) to Ochiai-bashi, then about 30 minutes on foot. By car about 1 hour 20 minutes from Ikawa-Ikeda IC. No parking.
15Oku-Iya double vine bridges奥祖谷二重かずら橋
Vine suspension bridges · Higashi-Iya, Sugeoi
Two vine bridges side by side, the 'husband' and 'wife' bridges, deeper in the valley than the Iya Kazurabashi, with a hand-pulled cable cart (yaen) over the stream nearby. Closed for winter from December to March.
Closed December–March.
- Access
- From JR Oboke Station, Shikoku Kotsu bus to Kubo and change to a Miyoshi city bus. By car about 1 hour 40 minutes from Ikawa-Ikeda IC; 30 parking spaces.
- Hours
- April–June 9:00–17:00 · July–August 8:00–18:00 · September–November 9:00–17:00
- Closed on
- December–March
- Price
- Junior high and over ¥550
16Wakimachi Udatsu street脇町 うだつの町並み
Historic merchant street · Mima, Wakimachi
A merchant town that grew on the Awa indigo trade in the Edo period, with heavy tiled roofs, plastered walls and udatsu, the raised fire walls between houses.
- Access
- From Tokushima, JR Tokushima Line limited express Tsurugisan to Anabuki (about 40 minutes), then about 10 minutes by car.
- Price
- Free to walk
Good to know
Tokushima splits into three trips. In the city, Awa Odori Kaikan stages the dance every day (last show 20:00) and the Mt. Bizan ropeway leaves from its 5th floor, about 10 minutes on foot from JR Tokushima Station. Naruto, on the strait to the north, has the whirlpool boats, the Uzu no Michi walkway and the Otsuka Museum of Art in one park. The Iya Valley and Oboke Gorge are in the mountains to the west, reached via JR Oboke Station.
The whirlpools follow the tide, not the clock. Uzushio Kisen gives the rule: the best viewing is around the hour of the fastest current, within 2 hours either side at spring tide, 1 hour 30 minutes at middle tide and 1 hour at neap tide. Check the day's times on the Uzu no Michi or Uzushio Kisen tide table before you go.
Dates to plan around: the Mt. Bizan ropeway closes at 17:30 from 1 November to 31 March. The Iya Kazurabashi cannot be crossed from 12 January to about the end of February 2027 while it is rebuilt, and the Oku-Iya double vine bridges close from December to March. The Awa Odori festival is held every year from 11 to 15 August.
Tokushima city, Naruto, or the Iya Valley
How you get there, what it costs to get in, and how late you can start. Adult prices; children's prices are on each card above.
| Where | Getting there | Entry (adult) | Latest start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokushima city: Awa Odori Kaikan, Mt. Bizan, Castle Museum | On foot from JR Tokushima Station, about 10 minutes | Evening dance show ¥1,600 · daytime show ¥1,300 · ropeway ¥1,500 round trip · Castle Museum ¥300 | Evening show 20:00 · ropeway until 21:00 (Apr–Oct), 17:30 (Nov–Mar) · Castle Museum 16:30 |
| Naruto Park: whirlpool boat, Uzu no Michi, Eddy, Otsuka Museum | Route bus from JR Tokushima Station about 80 minutes, from JR Naruto Station about 25 minutes; direct highway buses from Osaka and Kobe | Boat ¥2,000 (cash) · Uzu no Michi ¥510 · Otsuka Museum ¥3,300 | Uzu no Michi 16:30 (Oct–Feb), 17:30 (Mar–Sep) · Otsuka tickets 16:00 · boats every 30 minutes |
| Bando: Ryozenji, German House | German House: about 25 minutes on foot from JR Bando Station, or Tokushima Bus from JR Naruto Station · Ryozenji: by car from Aizumi IC | German House ¥400 | German House 16:30 |
| Iya Valley and Oboke Gorge | JR to Oboke Station, then Shikoku Kotsu bus; by car about 1 hour from Ikawa-Ikeda IC to the Kazurabashi | Kazurabashi ¥550 · Oboke boat ¥1,800 · Oku-Iya bridges ¥550 | Kazurabashi entrance closes 17:00 (Sep–Mar) · last boat 16:30 |
| Wakimachi Udatsu street | Limited express Tsurugisan to Anabuki (about 40 minutes), then about 10 minutes by car | Free | — |
By kind of trip
First trip, one day in the city
Awa Odori Kaikan and the ropeway are in the same building, about 10 minutes on foot from the station. The daytime shows run at 11:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00, and the evening show at 20:00.
Awa Odori Kaikan · Mt. Bizan Ropeway · Tokushima Castle Museum and Tokushima Central Park
The Naruto whirlpools
Time the visit to the tide table. The boat sails every 30 minutes without booking; Uzu no Michi looks down from inside the bridge, and Eddy explains how the whirlpools form. All three are around Naruto Park.
Uzushio Kisen whirlpool boat · Uzu no Michi · Eddy (Onaruto Bridge Memorial Museum) · Otsuka Museum of Art
Rain
These are indoors. The Otsuka Museum sells tickets until 16:00 and lets you leave and come back the same day.
Otsuka Museum of Art · Awa Odori Kaikan · Naruto German House · Tokushima Castle Museum and Tokushima Central Park
Mountains and gorges
All of these start from JR Oboke Station by Shikoku Kotsu bus. Check the season first: the Kazurabashi is closed for rebuilding in early 2027, and the Oku-Iya bridges close December–March.
Iya Kazurabashi vine bridge · Oboke Gorge sightseeing boat · Iya Gorge and the Shoben Kozo statue · Ochiai village and viewpoint
Free
Wakimachi's merchant street, the Iya Gorge viewpoint and Ochiai village cost nothing to see. The Castle Museum is free for junior high age and under.
Wakimachi Udatsu street · Iya Gorge and the Shoben Kozo statue · Ochiai village and viewpoint · Tokushima Castle Museum and Tokushima Central Park
Questions
When can I see the Naruto whirlpools?
Around the hour of the fastest tidal current, which changes every day. Uzushio Kisen says the best window is up to 2 hours either side at spring tide, 1 hour 30 minutes at middle tide and 1 hour at neap tide. Uzu no Michi and Uzushio Kisen both publish the day's times on their sites.
Can I see Awa Odori outside August?
Yes. Awa Odori Kaikan has daytime shows at 11:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00 (adults ¥1,300) and an evening show at 20:00 (adults ¥1,600) every day, except on its closing days: the second Wednesday of February, June, September and December, and 28 December–1 January. The festival itself is 11–15 August.
Is the Iya Kazurabashi open in winter?
It is open every day, but it will be rebuilt from 12 January to about the end of February 2027, and it cannot be crossed in that time; snow may delay the work. The Oku-Iya double vine bridges close every year from December to March.
How do I get to Tokushima?
By JR, the limited express Uzushio runs from Takamatsu to Tokushima, with trains toward Okayama as well. Highway buses from Osaka, Sannomiya (Kobe), Kyoto and Kansai Airport arrive at JR Tokushima Station, and an airport bus runs from Tokushima Awaodori Airport. For the Iya Valley, the limited express Nanpu (Okayama–Kochi) stops at Oboke, about 1 hour 40 minutes from Okayama.
How much is the Otsuka Museum of Art?
Adults ¥3,300 at the door (¥3,160 in advance), university students ¥2,200, elementary to high school ¥550. It is open 9:30–17:00, tickets sold until 16:00, and closed on Mondays (the next day if Monday is a holiday).