Naruto

Whirlpools, bridge walks and ceramic art

Naruto, at the northeastern tip of Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku, has Japan's best-known whirlpools. Strong tidal currents in the narrow Naruto Strait, which separates it from Awaji Island, create them. Visitors can watch from the Uzu-no-Michi walkway under the Onaruto Bridge or from a sightseeing boat. The Otsuka Museum of Art has more than 1,000 ceramic replicas of famous artworks. Ryozenji, the first temple of the Shikoku pilgrimage, is also here. Naruto kintoki sweet potato and wakame seaweed are local products. Half a day is enough for the whirlpools, while the museum and temple can fill a second day.

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Safety: 9.1

General Safety:	10
Health & medical:	8
Accessibility:	6
Tap water:	9

Read details

2/5

English is spoken at major hotels, museums and tourist centres, but less so in small shops and restaurants. Signage is improving at main spots, but a translation app helps for rural areas.

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Last update: 20 Oct 2026

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Naruto Summary

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Famous for tidal whirlpools and coastal views. Watch powerful whirlpools from bridges or boats, visit art museums and enjoy scenic seaside walks.

Place score

7.1

Best at:

Spotless

Sea

Museums

Natural sites

Fishing

Personal score

Suited for

👶 6

Families

🧓 7

Seniors

👩 7

Solo

🛡️ 6

Travel Beginners

Japan – Quick facts

Guide Etiquette Holidays Other

Power Grid:	100 V, 50 Hz Plug: Type A Type A: Read about power adapters
Currency:	Japanese Yen (JPY) £1 ≈ JP¥210
Cashless info:	Rating 4/5 Cashless payments are becoming more common, especially in cities, with some shops still preferring cash. Be prepared for occasional cash-only situations in rural areas. Save with a travel credit card
eSIM providers:	Best value: Saily Flexibility: Airalo Read our in-depth comparison

Tipping:	Tipping is not customary in Japan and can be considered rude. Excellent service is the norm, and tipping is unnecessary in most places.
Public drinking:	Public drinking is legal and commonly accepted, particularly during festivals and events.
Public smoking:	Smoking is prohibited in indoor public places but allowed in designated outdoor areas. Some restaurants may have smoking sections.

New Year (January)	One of the most important holidays, expect crowded temples and high prices. Plan ahead.
Golden Week (April-May)	The busiest travel time, expect high demand for accommodation and transport.
Obon (August)	A time to honour ancestors, many businesses close, and transport can be crowded.

Emergency contact:	Emergency Number: 110 (Police), 119 (Fire & Ambulance)
Taxi apps:	Uber, JapanTaxi, DiDi
Other:	Japan is a country of respect, so understanding local customs and etiquette is important. Public transport is efficient, but can be crowded during peak hours.

Best times to travel

The best times to travel section shows how the months compare for a visit, so you can find the time of year that fits what you want to do.

Background colours of the months:
The colour shows the typical temperature: yellow (hot), green (mild) and blue (cold). How strong the colour is shows the travel season: full colour means high season, soft colour means shoulder season and soft-striped means off season.

Weather symbols:
Each month has one symbol showing what the weather is typically like, such as hot and sunny, freezing or a rainy or snowy season. Use them to quickly spot months that match the weather you want, or to avoid the ones that don't.

Crowdedness:
The people icon shows how busy the place usually is. The more people, the more crowded it gets.

Additional notes:
The grey info boxes point out special things worth knowing, like recurring weather issues or seasonal events.

for Naruto, Japan

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High season:	April - May, Oct.
Shoulder season:	March, Aug. - Sep., Nov.
Crowdedness:	5 (Moderate tourist numbers)

Tap on a month for more info Hover over a month for more info

Climate details

Naruto whirlpools are biggest around new and full moon, strongest in spring and late summer

Typhoon season August to October can cancel whirlpool boat tours

Don't miss

🌊 Watch the powerful Naruto whirlpools from the Onaruto Bridge promenade
⛵ Take a sightseeing boat to experience the vortexes up close
🖼️ Visit Ōtsuka Museum of Art and see lifelike art reproductions
🌅 Walk the Naruto Park trails with stunning sea views
🔭 Learn about whirlpool science at Uzunomichi Observation Hall
♨️ Relax at a seaside onsen overlooking the Naruto Strait

You've been here?

Why travel to Naruto?

Naruto's whirlpools form where waters of the Seto Inland Sea and the currents of the Kii Channel come together and can reach about 20 m across. They appear with each change of tide and are largest in spring and autumn, when tides raise the sea level by more than 1 m. You can see them in two ways. Sightseeing boats take you close to the water and some have underwater glass panels. The Uzu-no-Michi walkway is about 450 m long along the lower deck of the Onaruto Bridge, with a view down to the strait from 45 m up. Admission to the walkway is JP¥510 (£2.42) and the site publishes a monthly tide calendar showing the best viewing windows. The Otsuka Museum of Art is a second reason to visit. It displays more than 1,000 replicas of famous works at original size on ceramic boards, copied from over 190 museums in 25 countries. The Sistine Hall reproduces Michelangelo's chapel ceiling. Admission is JP¥3,300 (£15.65). Ryozenji Temple is the first and last stop of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage. The Naruto German House commemorates German prisoners held here in the First World War.

🏯Places worth seeing

1 The Naruto German House
2 Ōtsuka Museum of Art
3 Ōnaruto Bridge
4 Naruto whirlpools

🎡Places for activities

1 Ride the Whirlpool Sightseeing Boat

🏞️Natural landmarks

1 Naruto Strait
2 Naruto whirlpools
3 Naruto Otsuka Sports Park Pocari Sweat Stadium

🍽️Eat & Drink

1 Funamoto Udon Takashima Honten
Naruchuru udon, thin and uneven hand-made noodles in the Naruto style that began among salt-field workers. The Takashima main shop opened in 1972 and closes when the noodles sell out.
2 Isoyaki Katayama Suisan
Sashimi sets, seafood bowls and big isoyaki, grilled seafood, at a seafood restaurant in Kitanada. Reservations are advised, it has parking for 20 cars, and it is closed on Tuesdays.
3 Binbiya
Set meals built around hamachi sashimi and a miso soup full of wakame, which locals call the shop's speciality. Other dishes include Saikyo-grilled sea bream and a five-piece tempura plate. It is 15 minutes by car from Naruto Station.
4 Arashi
Naruto sea bream in many forms, including sashimi, grilled fish, kamameshi rice with thick fillets and arajiru soup in a rich stock. The restaurant is in Muya-cho and also serves fresh fish from nearby waters.
5 Wadokoro Tomimasu
Awa gozen, a set meal of local seasonal foods, along with Naruto udon, Naruto sea bream and strait yellowtail. The restaurant opened in 1977 and is a 5-minute walk from Naruto Station, with table, tatami and private seats.
6 Sushi Tatsu
Sushi and the Uzu no Sachi menu, firm-fleshed seafood shaped by the Naruto whirlpool currents and cooked with seasonal ingredients. The shop is run by two generations of one family and is a 3-minute walk from Naruto Station.
7 Sakanabatake
Local seafood and creative dishes that mix Japanese and Western styles, at an izakaya loved by residents. It is one or two minutes on foot from Naruto Station, which makes it handy for an evening meal.
8 Ouzu Shokudo
Five-colour bowl, a rice bowl topped with five kinds of fresh seafood, is the signature dish at this diner. The Naruto tourism site's guide to lunch and dinner spots recommends it.
9 Uzunomiyako
Japanese cuisine in a detached house, with a counter and tatami seating on the first floor and a banquet floor upstairs. It is about a 2-minute walk from the nearest station.
10 Teuchi Udon Tamura
Hand-made udon at a shop three minutes on foot from Naruto Station, with meals under 1,000 yen. It is a convenient stop for udon near the station, so it works for a quick lunch.

🎈Events

Naruto City Awa Odori & Fireworks Festival (August)
Otani-yaki Ceramics Festival
Naruto Whirlpools Viewing Season (spring/autumn)
Naruto German Festival
Cherry Blossom Festival (Naruto Park)
Naruto Marathon
Summer Beach Festivals
Autumn Harvest Festivals
Pilgrimage Opening Ceremonies

Explore on map

Open map view

Knowledge before you go

Check the monthly tide calendar to time your whirlpool visit.
Plan the art museum for any day but Monday and arrive before 16:00 for last admission.
Uzu-no-Michi closes earlier from October to February, so plan a morning visit in winter.
Look for Naruto kintoki sweet potato sweets and wakame seaweed in the shops near the whirlpool boat port.

How to travel to Naruto

The easiest way from Osaka is the highway bus, which takes about 2 hours to Naruto. Buses from Kobe Sannomiya take about 1 hour 15 minutes and both routes stop near Naruto Park and Kosoku Naruto. A fixed-route bus from Tokushima Station takes about an hour to Naruto Park. Tokushima Airport is closer, with a bus to Naruto Station in about 15 minutes and to Naruto Park in about 35 minutes. By rail, take the JR Uzushio limited express from Takamatsu to Ikenotani or Shozui and change to the JR Naruto Line. From Tokyo the journey by rail takes around 8 hours. Driving over the Onaruto Bridge from Awaji Island is also possible.

Access summary

From Tokushima Awaodori Airport (TKS): Local bus to Naruto Station, about 15–20 minutes.
From Tokushima City: JR train or bus to Naruto, roughly 40–45 minutes.
From Osaka (KIX/Osaka): Express buses via Kobe/Maiko to Naruto, around 3 hours.

Check your route from anywhere

Where to stay in Naruto

Most visitors stay near Naruto Station or along the coast, where small hotels and inns are close to the buses and the sea. This works well if you want an early start at the whirlpools. Naruto has a smaller choice of places to sleep than larger Shikoku cities. Tokushima city is the other common base and is reached by bus in around an hour. It has more hotels at a wide range of prices and more restaurants. Staying there suits travellers who plan to see Naruto as a day trip. Awaji Island across the bridge is a third option for travellers coming from Kobe or Osaka. Book ahead for weekends and holidays in spring and autumn when the whirlpools bring the biggest crowds.

Hotel recommendations

*by rating and popularity. Commissions have no influence on the rankings.

AoAwo Naruto Resort

8.7

Plaza Awajishima - Sumoto Onsen

8.6

Grand Mercure Awaji Island Resort & Spa

7.9

Fairfield by Marriott Hyogo Awaji Fukura

9.0

MINATO KOYADO AWAJISHIMA

9.0

Awaji Hamarikyu - Sumoto Onsen

9.2

Naruto Grand Hotel

7.8

Rakuten STAY VILLA Awaji

7.9

Naruto Kaigetsu

8.2

Seaside Hotel Taimaru Kaigetsu

8.4

Explore more accommodations

How to get around Naruto

Naruto is spread out, but the main whirlpool sights are close together around Naruto Park. Buses link them with the stations. A car makes it easier to combine the museum, the whirlpools and the temples in one day.

Whirlpool sights:
The whirlpool boat port is under a minute's walk from the Naruto Park bus stop. The walkway entrance is about three minutes on foot from the nearby Eddy Memorial Hall.

Buses:
A municipal bus from JR Naruto Station takes about 20 minutes to Naruto Park. Highway buses from Osaka stop at Kosoku Naruto. Local buses link that stop with Naruto Park in about 20 minutes and with Naruto Station in about 5 minutes.

Car:
The art museum has a large car park with a free shuttle bus to the entrance. Driving from Naruto Station to the boat port takes about 15 minutes.

Food in Naruto

The local food comes from the strait and the sandy fields along the Yoshino River. Sanuki udon and indigo dye souvenirs are also sold in the shops near the port.

Naruto kintoki:
Naruto kintoki is the local sweet potato, with red skin and a fluffy, sweet flesh. It's roasted, fried as tempura or turned into Japanese and Western sweets. A shochu made from the potato is also sold as a souvenir.

Wakame:
The wakame seaweed here grows in waters shaped by the whirlpool currents. It has a firm texture and a bright green colour. Tokushima ranks third in Japan for wakame output.

Sudachi and chicken:
Sudachi is a small green citrus used across the prefecture and sudachi chu mixes it with local shochu. Awa Odori chicken is a local breed with lean, sweet meat.

Budget snapshot

Costs compared to home

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To customise this, you can set up which location and price level are used for the calculations in your account settings.

-44 %

Daily expenses in Naruto are around 44% lower than the average across United States. That means you'll spend a lot less on meals and getting around.

Exchange rate trend

The exchange rate price factor shows how expensive or cheap a currency currently is compared to its historical average. It's a quick way to see if a country is currently more or less affordable due to exchange rate changes.

-20 %

Your exchange rate (GBP to JPY) is 20% better than in recent years. That means travelling now is considerably cheaper compared to the past.

Travel costs

To help you plan your trip, we provide estimated daily costs per person (when travelling as a pair) for different travel styles. These numbers give you an idea of what you might spend each day at this destination, including accommodation, food, transport and activities.

Additionally, we also provide average hotel costs for different travel styles to give you an estimate for the accommodation only.

Please note that these are only estimates. The real costs depend on booking times, season and other factors.

Daily cost summary

Travel style categories explained:

Backpacker:
Staying in hostels or budget hotels, cooking your own meals or eating cheap and choosing low-cost activities.

Mid-range:
Staying in mid-range hotels, eating at a mix of restaurants and casual spots and enjoying a variety of activities.

Luxury:
Staying in luxury hotels, dining out at high-end restaurants and enjoying premium experiences without worrying about the price.

	Backpacker	Mid-range	Luxury
💵 Total costs per day, including accommodation	£50	£101	£249
🏨 Accommodation per night, per person	£26	£60	£113
🍝 Food per day	£18	£33	£99
🚕 Transportation per day	£6	£8	£37

Food & Drink

🍽️ Restaurant Dinner, per person	£12
🍛 Lunch Set, per person	£5
🍟 Fast food combo	£4
🍝 Preparing your own food, per day	£7.50
☕ Cappuccino	£2.10
🍺 Beer in a restaurant, 0.5 l	£2.30

Transportation

🚌 Public transport ticket	£1.40
🚕 Taxi Ride, 10 km / 6 mi	£23
⛽ Petrol, 1 l	£0.85

Other

🎞️ Cinema ticket	£9
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's consult	£27
🤧 Cold medication	£11
💇 Basic haircut	£9.50

Safety information overview

General safety

Naruto is very safe, with low crime in town and around the sights. The sea is the main risk. Strong currents make swimming near the strait unsafe. Boats can be cancelled in rough weather. Typhoons and earthquakes are possible.

Health & Medical

Medical care is good, with clinics in Naruto and larger hospitals in Tokushima city. English-speaking staff are limited, so a translation app and travel insurance help. Pharmacies are found near the station and main roads.

Accessibility

The art museum is large but has hire pushchairs and a shuttle from the car park. The bridge walkway is long and exposed to wind. A taxi or car helps visitors with limited mobility get between the sights.

Tap water

Tap water in Naruto is safe to drink, as across Japan. Bottled water and tea are sold in convenience stores, supermarkets and vending machines in town. A refillable bottle is useful when walking the bridge on hot days.