A View of the Whirlpools Road

Nearby sightseeing spots

• 1

  Setonaikai National Park

  This natural marine park was the first to be designated as a Japanese national park, along with Unzen/Kirishima. The designated area stretches from Mt. Rokkasan in Kobe in the east, to Beppu Onsen in Kyushu in the west, and covers over nine prefectures along the Seto Inland Sea, including Hyogo, Wakayama, Hiroshima, Tokushima, Kagawa, and Yamaguchi.
  Within Tokushima, 1,538ha of land that overlooks the eddies of the Naruto Strait has been designated.
  
  

• 2

  The Scenic Beauty of Naruto

  Naruto, made up of the eddies of Naruto, a hilly forested area and the coast, long known for their scenic beauty, and the islands that dot the area have been designated by the national government as a “Meisho” (place of scenic beauty).

• 3

  The Eddies of Naruto

  At the Naruto Strait, found between Magozaki in Naruto City and Awaji Island, you will find eddies that appear with the coming and going of the tide. They are the largest in spring and fall, when the tides are at their greatest, with currents of 20km per hour, and diameters of up to 20m. They roar like the sound of a hundred thunder strikes, and the sight of the eddies colliding is magnificent. The tide comes and goes twice a day, with the eddies in the Naruto Strait appearing both when the tide comes in, and when it retreats. You can see the eddies within about 90 minutes of both times. The current that passes through the Naruto Strait is one of the world’s three great currents, next to that of Italy’s strait of Messina, and Canada’s Seymour Narrow. At its fastest, the current flows at 20km per hour, the fastest of anywhere in Japan.　

• 4

  Onaruto Bridge

  Onaruto Bridge is a suspension bridge that has a span of 876 meters to its center, and is famous for passing over the Naruto Strait and its eddies. It is long, with a total of 1,629m in length, main tower height of 144.38m, and a total of 67,000km in cable used (approximately 1.7 circumferences of the Earth), a total of 64,000t in weight, and 270,000㎥ of concrete used, which took nine years to construct.

• 5

  The Tobishima Island Juniperus Chinesis Colony

  Within the prefecture, you can find some small colonies of Juniperus chinesis in Kamoda Cape, Ishima Island, but it is rare to find such a large colony reaching such unusual prosperity and maturity, which caused it to be designated as a natural monument by the prefecture.
  
  Tobishima Island is 700m to the southeast of Naruto Park and overlooks the Naruto Strait. It is surrounded by sudden cliffs due to the constant shifting of the tides. Its coast is also covered with massive boulders, which gives it an intimidating appearance. The junipers grow from the summit to the western slope of the island, mixed in with Japanese black pines, ubame oak, Japanese spindle trees, silverberry trees, pittosporum, and more.
  
  The juniper here have obvious wear on the tops and the end s of their branches, perhaps because of the tough environment and its powerful winds. They are also tilted due to the earth they are rooted in being constantly bathed in water, making for powerful scenery. Some are on the brink of death, but most have new branches and roots, which shows just how robust of a plant the juniper can be. Also, there are a number of seedlings mostly around the northern slope, which shows how the juniper continue to maintain their colony across generations.
  

• 6

  Onaruto Bridge Pathway – The Road of Eddies

  The Road of Eddies, a pathway on the Onaruto Bridge which provides tours of the eddies and the bridge, is a 450m walkway located along the beams of the Onaruto Bridge, with a circuit style observation facility at the end.
  You can see the engineering of the Onaruto Bridge from up close, and observe Naruto’s dynamic eddies from 45m above the ocean. Take the opportunity to join this thrilling tour.
  

• 7

  Onaruto Bridge Memorial Building–Eddy

  This establishment was created for the purpose of passing the meaning of the Onaruto Bridge down to the next generation, as well as bringing people closer to the Setonaikai National Park’s amazing natural scenery and the tourism and local crafts of Tokushima. It underwent a renewal opening in March of 2018, and has a number of games and attractions such as a 4K360° theater called “awa”, “Play the Eddy!”, a digital attraction, VR tourism activities with “Tokushima Trip”, to help people get a taste of the nature and culture of Tokushima.

• 8

  Uchinoumi

  Ogejima, Shimadajima/Takashima are surrounded by quiet seas with countless fishing houses, which are crowded with tourists during fishing season (from spring until autumn). You can get a glimpse of the sea from up close from the Naruto Uchunoumi Park in Ogejima, Naruto, where you can enjoy sports such as tennis and gateball with a reservation.
  

• 9

  Naruto Skyline

  The Kameurakokushiki Expressway is a road that both connects Tosadomariura, Naruto-cho, and Kushiki, Kitanada-cho within Naruto City, as well as a roadway for tourists to get a glimpse of the stunning Uchinoumi and Seto Inland Sea, and is lovingly called the Naruto Skyline. It is a popular spot for people riding cars and motorcycles.