Naruto (Tokushima)

This article refers to the Naruto in Tokushima Prefecture. For the Naruto in Chiba Prefecture, click here.

Naruto (鳴門) is a city located at the northeastern tip of Tokushima, Japan.

Travel to Naruto (Tokushima) - Visa Requirements

Flights and airtickets to Naruto (Tokushima)

There are four daily JR buses from Kobe Airport to Naruto (2 3/4 hours, ¥2950).

By train

Naruto does have a train station, but it's pretty inconvenient for rail traffic from other major cities. Unless you're going from another city within Shikoku, the fastest and most direct method of reaching Naruto is to take a bus from Kansai across the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge.

Buses to Naruto (Tokushima)

JR Bus operates Naruto Express buses from Osaka (six daily round-trips) and Kobe (three daily round-trips). Osaka buses leave from Osaka Station and run to Naruto in 3 1/2 hours (¥3150) with a pickup stop at Namba station. Kobe buses leave from Shin-Kobe and Sannomiya stations. The run from Shin-Kobe to Naruto takes 2 3/4 hours (¥2750).

From major cities located near the Shinkansen (such as Tokyo, Nagoya, Hiroshima and Fukuoka), the hassle-free way to Naruto is to take a Shinkansen train to Shin-Kobe and transfer to the Naruto Express bus - be aware that the departure times of the buses from Shin-Kobe are 8:35, 10:00 and 16:45 (as of February 2009) so you will want to time your arrival at the bullet train station accordingly. Or else, for more frequent departures, get off at Shin-Osaka and take a regular JR train to Osaka to pick up the bus.

Even if you have a Japan Rail Pass, the Naruto Express bus from Shin-Kobe, which is not covered by the pass, is a wise investment for ¥2750. (The alternative is to continue to Okayama, where you will have to change to three more trains and add an additional 1-2 hours to your journey.)

Note that seats for JR's Naruto Express buses can be reserved at Midori-no-Madoguchi locations at major JR train stations.

By foot

Naruto is the starting and ending point of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage course around the entire island of Shikoku, which is traditionally covered with a person's own two feet.

Tours and Getting around Naruto (Tokushima)

Naruto (Tokushima) tourist attractions and sightseeing

• Naruto is best known for the Naruto Whirlpools (鳴門の渦潮 Naruto no uzushio), which form in the narrow Naruto Strait between Awaji Island and Shikoku. The vortexes can be seen up to four times daily, but their size and speed depends the height of the tide, which in turn depends on the alignment of the Moon and the Sun. In general, the new moon and full moon are usually the best times to see the whirlpools, which can reach a depth of 2m and a width of 20m. They can be viewed either from viewpoints at either end of the Onaruto Bridge crossing the strait or from sightseeing boats in the Strait itself.
• Naruto's second claim to fame is as the starting point of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage. The first two temples on the trail, Ryōzenji (霊山寺) and Gokurakuji (極楽寺), are both located in Naruto.
• German House The site of a World War I POW camp for German soldiers. The stone bridges and cenotaph built by the prisoners are on display, along with documents that give us a glimpse of life during those times. The German prisoners were free to communicate with the local people, and much German culture remains in the area to this day. The present-day German House was built in 1993.
• The Otsuka Art Museum The Otsuka family has created a "backup" of the world's painting masterpieces. Otsuka museum displays no original paintings. All works at the museum are duplicates of originals that have been printed onto ceramic surfaces using the most advanced printing technology available. The result is an astounding collection of art that preserves the detail of the originals and at times may even rival their beauty and clarity.

Naruto (Tokushima) city tours

Naruto (Tokushima) souvenirs and shopping

Naruto Kintoki sweet potatoes and all the products produced from them: Cakes, cookies, liquor etc...

Naruto (Tokushima) Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Naruto claims to be home to the world's best sweet potatoes.

Naruto (Tokushima) nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs

• Naruto Kintoki Shochu Sweet potato spirit
• Sudachi Chu Sudachi lime spirit.

Naruto (Tokushima) cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels and lodging

Get out

This page was last edited by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Jose Ramos and Wikitravel user(s) Episteme. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license