Naruto is located in Tokushima Prefecture, and is where visitors may see its biggest draw, the majestic Naruto whirlpools. The city lends its name to the titular character in the Naruto manga and anime series. The Naruto whirlpools are created from the difference in water levels from the Seto Inland..
Miyoshi is a city in Tokushima Prefecture that is a gateway to the natural scenery the region has to offer. The Iya Valley, Mount Tsurugi, and Oboke Gorge all lie in the vicinity of Miyoshi. Iya Valley is rugged side of Japan that calls out to adventurous travelers, with the Kazura Vine Bridge its m..
Tokushima City is the capital of Tokushima Prefecture and home to Japan's most famous dance festival, Awa Odori. Every August, the Obon Festival is held over three days to honor the ancestors of Buddhist followers. This includes a spectacle called "Fools's Dance", where people of a..
There's no shortage of places to find a bowl of hand-cut soba in the Iya Valley. These chewy noodles, made with locally grown buckwheat, are one of the staples of this secluded corner of Shikoku. But if you want to slurp your noodles in sigh..
On the first night we arrived Tokushima, my friend living there recommended we go to this place for dinner, 'Take-no Mai' (literary, Bamboo Dance). According to her, this is a good place to enjoy the fresh seafood of Tokushima. Unfortunately,..
The main purpose of a trip I made to Tokushima this Golden Week holiday was to visit the Bando POW Camp Site in the Naruto area, which is famous because of a Japanese movie, 'Bart no Gakuen' (literally, 'Music paradise of bearde..
I stopped here on the first night of my two-week Shikoku Pilgrimage Road Trip. I needed a hotel in this particular location (in the vicinity of temples 8, 9 and 10), easily accessible by car and with good parking—and Business Hotel Awa seemed t..
I stopped here on the second night of my Shikoku Pilgrimage Road Trip. I needed a hotel close to the Awa Odori Kaikan, because I wanted to see their evening Awa Odori performance. I also wanted a hot spring bath, and this hotel was the only place in ..
Avanti is a frilly name for a no frills budget hotel, but the name suits its quaint and unique character. The owner is involved in making sure guests are comfortable, which makes you feel at home. My room was small, but I had a large desk, chair, and..
People of Nishi-Awa region in western Tokushima understand very well that culture is organic, a living thing that is shaped by land, evolves with exposure to outside influences, and develops its roots by getting incorporated into lifestyles of the ne..
In the calm of the Tokushima mountains, there’s a place to learn how to make one of the most fundamental tools of communication – and a beautiful one at that. Since the 7th century, Japanese people have been making paper by hand in Tokush..
Ooasahiko Shrine (大麻比古神社) in Naruto City, Tokushima, has an immensely long and storied history. It has long been one of the more important shrines in Japan and it is arguably the most important shrine in Tokushima. Painted and carved into wooden sign..
