Top 10 Tourist Attractions & Best Things to Do in Tokushima, Japan

Everyone has a different image of Tokushima Prefecture in Shikoku islands, but definitely, you can’t miss out its nature, history, and art, which are popular tourist spots. In Tokushima Prefecture, there are many places such as famous tourist places that everyone knows and even places where people know only names. We will introduce you the 10 recommended tourist spots in Tokushima Prefecture that makes you feel to want to visit. Please enjoy it!

Let’s experience the famous art in the original size! “Otsuka Museum of Art”

“Otsuka Museum of Art” is a slightly unique museum. With using special techniques, they reproduced over 1,000 works of western art such as carefully-selected ancient paintings and the moderate arts owned by art museums around the world, in the same size as original works. And they display those there.

Even though the works of “Guernica” by Picasso and “Murals of the Sistine Chapel” are reproduced, you can experience the dynamic beauty which is different from just art books. There are regular events where you can enjoy the art closely, and you can also enjoy classical concerts at Sistina Hall. It worths to have a look at this world’s first and very unique museum at least once.

A must-see for sightseeing in Tokushima! A famous whirlpool spot! “Tokushima Prefectural Whirlpool Road”

“The Whirlpool Road” is an oceanic promenade with a distance of 450 meters installed on the Bridge Girder o Naruto Bridge across over the Naruto Channel. There are four rest areas along the way, and the floor of the rest area is made of glass. Looking down from about 45 meters from the sea surface, you can see the famous and magnificent whirlpools right there. A roar of noise with a tremendous whirlpool. If you come to Tokushima Prefecture, please don’t miss it out!

Of course, it is natural, so you can not always see the powerful whirlpools. The whirlpool forecast is posted on the web site, so don’t forget to check in the last minutes. Because this promenade and the observation room ahead of the promenade are covered with glass that overlooks both the Pacific and the Seto Inland Sea, you can relax just by looking at the open ocean. It is a must-see if you came to Tokushima!

Let’s experience the great nature of natural monuments! Popular sightseeing spoit in Tokusima Preecture! “Ohboke & Koboke”

“Ohboke & Koboke” is an approximately 8 km long valley created by the rapid flow of the Yoshino River over 200 million years. In the valley where marble sculptures stand up, you can enjoy the thrilling boat riding with watching the cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves in autumn.

About 3 km downstream of the Ohboke will be a Koboke. Although the impression is smaller than the Ohboke, the beauty of the rock surface is as attractive as the Ohboke. The Ohboke is a national designated natural monument in 2014, and is designated as a nationally designated scenic spot in 2015. Please visit there when you have a chance to do sightseeing in Tokushima.

One of Japan’s Top Three Odd Bridges across over unexplored Regions “Iya-no-kazura Bridge”

“Izu-no-kazura Bridge” is a suspension bridge that has been knitted using about 5 tons of wild shirakuchikazura. It is one of Japan’s top three odd bridges, and has been replaced once every three years. This is the bridge in unexplored area, which is said to have been made to be cut off immediately when Heike who lost the historic battle of Genpei and escaped from the chase.

It is lighted up from 7 pm to 9 pm and its appearance in the wilderness looks fantastic. It is an unexplored spot that Tokushima Prefecture boasts of where you can enjoy the beauty of the four seasons whenever you visit.

You can enjoy the best night view of Shikoku! Tokushima’s Night Spot “Mount Bizan”

The “Mount Bizan”, which is mentioned in the Manyoshu, is a popular symbol of Tokushima city even today. It shows the different appearance of each season such as cherry blossoms in spring, raining clouds in summer, hardwood in autumn, and the mountain top occasionally covered with snow in winter. The height is 290m and its magnificent panoramic view is also popular as the best night view spot in Shikoku.

The top of the mountain is equipped with a ropeway and an observatory as Bizan Park, and there is the desired fence for lovers to swear for everlasting love with the brought-in padlock. It is also an attractive point that there are several ways to reach the mountain top such as hiking, driving, and ropeway. Please enjoy the night view there.

You can experience the home dance all year round! Traditional entertainment of Tokushima “Awa Odori Kaikan”

“Awa Odori Kaikan” is a facility located at the foot of Mount Bizan, where you can enjoy “Awa Odori” regardless of the season. There are the souvenir tourism plaza and a small museum “Awa Odori Museum” where you can know the history of Awa Odori from a display of actual Awa Odori costumes and fancy objects.

And the “Awa Odori Hall” where you can see a demonstration of dance all year round. You can also see the refined and authentic Awa Odori, but you can also enjoy the Odori experience at the “Awa Odori Experience Corner” for both daytime and night performances. It’s absolutely “Odoranya son! (No way other than dancing!)” In addition, there is Sanroku Station of “Bizan Ropeway” which is a mountaineering entrance to Bizan on the 5th floor of this facility.

Eighty-eight temples in Shikoku begin here! Tokushima’s famous spot “Ryosen-ji”

“Ryosen-ji Temple” in Naruto City is the first temple which issues amulets of the “Shikoku eighty-eight sacred places” of about 1,469 kilometers of the entire route. It was founded as Chokuganji-temple of Emperor Seibu during the period of Tenpyo (729-748). “Eighty-eight places in Shikoku” means 88 temples located in Shikoku, related to Kobo Daishi (Kukai).

The main hall and the halls other than two-storied pagoda of “Ryosen-ji Temple” were burned again in 1891 due to the fire. Since then, it has been the present figure, but this temple worths as the first temple which makes the advantage of the location, creates its own taste, and is crowded with lots of pilgrims. This is famous as a tourist spot too, so why don’t you visit once?

Let’s touch historical buildings. “Townscape of Udatsu” where you can enjoy the good townscape in the old days.

“Wakimachi” is the castle town of Wakijo castle which was crowded with mulberry merchants from the middle of the Edo period to the Meiji period. “Udatsu” means a firewall that was created at the border between houses. It cost a huge amount to create therefore it became a symbol of wealth and career. It seems that the word “Udatsu ga agaru” was born from here.

Not only “Udatsu” also the cityscape with many buildings left from the Edo period and the Meiji period has many sights to see. We can explore the architectural landscape unique to the old house, such as insect window (Mushikodo), latticework (Koshi Dukuri) and latticed shutter (Shito Mido). In addition, at night, streetlights like paper lantern turn on, and you can enjoy the historical sight with a great deal of atmosphere. If you make a reservation, you can also get a guide from a local guide.

Both children and adults can play all day long! Amusement facility “Asutamuland Tokushima” in Tokushima Prefecture

Asutamuland Tokushima, located in Itano Town, is a comprehensive amusement facility where children and adults can learn science and nature. It has many varieties of facilities such as “Planetarium” where you can enjoy the star fully projected on a dome of 20m in diameter, “Yoshino River Tour” where you can experience the Yoshino River by water ride, and “Shikisaikan” where you can experience a fantastic space for about 12 minutes with a kaleidoscope video device.

This is the facility that adults and children can enjoy all day long with about 30 types of play equipment and areas where you can take a walk on the flower path depending on the season. In addition, there is illumination in the Christmas season, and many people visit there. Please drop by here.

In the land of the origin of traditional entertainment Japanese puppet theater “Awa Jurobeh Yashiki”

“Awa Jurobeh Yashiki” in Tokushima city is a residence site of Bando Jurobeh who is a model of Japanese puppet theater “Keisei Awa No Naruto”, and there are an old main house and a Tsurukame garden. In addition, there is a stage and an audience seats which are featured by a rural stage that was used to be seen in the shrine area, and Awa puppet theater is performed daily. The materials such as dolls and costumes are also on display, so you can learn the history of the Joruri.

We used to feel to hesitate to see traditional entertainment, but there are also explanations before the performance, so even beginners can enjoy the performance. There are also regular events where you can learn about local traditions, so please check in advance and visit there. Let’s enjoy traditional entertainment of Tokushima!

Let’s enjoy the recommended sightseeing spots of Tokushima!

What did you think about Tokushima Prefecture? This time, we introduced the 10 recommended tourist spots that you should visit when visiting Tokushima Prefecture for the sightseeing. There are many varieties of spots where you can feel the history of Tokushima such as temples, and spots where you can enjoy nature such as whirlpools. There are also local gourmets such as Tokushima ramen in Tokushima. So now, why don’t you visit Tokushima?