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The Iya Valley is one of Japan's three great hidden valleys โ a dramatic V-shaped gorge carved by the Iya River into the heart of Shikoku. Steep forested walls plunge hundreds of metres to the turquoise water below, with Oboke and Koboke gorges offering some of the most spectacular riverside scenery in the country. The valley is best explored by car, with countless pull-offs for photography and traditional thatched-roof farmhouses visible on the hillsides.
This legendary suspension bridge woven from mountain vines (shirakazura) spans 45 metres across the Iya River, swaying gently 14 metres above emerald water. The current bridge is reconstructed every three years in the traditional manner and remains one of Japan's most atmospheric structures. Cross in the early morning before tour groups arrive for the best experience.
The Naruto Strait produces some of the world's largest tidal whirlpools, reaching up to 20 metres in diameter during spring tides. View them from 45 metres above via the Uzu no Michi glass-floor walkway on Onaruto Bridge, or get up close on a 30-minute sightseeing boat tour. The spectacle is most powerful on the day of the new or full moon.
The villages of West Iya preserve a way of mountain life that has largely vanished from Japan โ steep terraced fields, thatched-roof farmhouses clinging to near-vertical slopes, and communities linked by roads so narrow that passing another car requires one driver to reverse to a turnout. The famous Ochiai village, visible from a viewing point above as a cascade of rooftops down a mountain face, is one of Japan's most photographed rural landscapes.
The world's largest ceramic tile reproduction museum displays more than 1,000 Western masterpieces at their original scale, from the Sistine Chapel ceiling to Monet's Water Lilies, all faithfully reproduced in ceramic. The museum sprawls across five floors and takes 3โ4 hours to explore properly. Located near Naruto, it pairs perfectly with a whirlpool boat tour.
The Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage sees the highest number of white-robed henro walkers from March through May and October through November when temperatures are moderate. Tokushima contains temples 1โ23, the 'Awakening' stage of the circuit, and seeing groups of pilgrims moving between temples is a moving and distinctly Japanese experience. The Awa Pilgrimage Support Association organises guided walks of the Tokushima section for foreign visitors.
Ryozen-ji in Naruto City is the starting point of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, a 1,200-kilometre spiritual circuit dedicated to the monk Kobo Daishi. Visitors can purchase traditional white pilgrim garments and a stamp book here to begin their own journey, or simply pay respects at this historically significant site. The temple grounds are peaceful and remarkably accessible from Naruto Station.
The stone foundations of Tokushima Castle (1585) crown the hill of Shiroyama in the centre of the city, surrounded by gardens and the excellent Tokushima Castle Museum. A ropeway carries visitors to the summit of adjacent Mount Bizan for panoramic views over the Yoshino River delta and the Seto Inland Sea. Cherry blossoms in spring and autumn foliage make this a favourite local escape.
Awa Ningyo Joruri is Tokushima's traditional form of puppet theatre, distinct from Osaka's Bunraku and said to date back 400 years. The Awa Jurobe Yashiki theatre in Tokushima City holds regular performances and demonstrations of this dramatic three-person puppetry style. The story of Osome and Hisamatsu, a tragic love tale performed here for centuries, remains the most celebrated in the local repertoire.
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