Tokushima attractions: performance, strait and valley fees and directions
Choose Awa Odori Kaikan for dance performances or Bizan for city views. For strait whirlpools, time Uzunomichi around the tide table. For a closer valley visit, compare Iya’s vine bridge or the Oboke cruise, but settle western transport and accommodation first.
Attraction fees and directions
Awa Odori Kaikan
阿波おどり会館
Even outside the summer festival, you can see dance performances at Awa Odori Kaikan. The participation segment also lets you learn some steps. Daytime shows last 40 minutes, so reach Kaikan before your chosen start time for an arrival-day visit.
- AdmissionDaytime shows cost JPY 1,300 for adults and JPY 700 for elementary/junior high school students. Evening shows cost JPY 1,600 and JPY 800 respectively. Museum tickets are separate.
- PerformancesRegular daytime shows start at 11:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00 and last 40 minutes; the 20:00 evening show lasts 50 minutes. Regular shows pause August 11–15; festival-period special performances have different dates and fees. Kaikan closes on the second Wednesday of February, June, September and December, or the next day if a public holiday, and December 28–January 1. Performance notices take precedence for temporary changes.
- ReservationsIndividuals and small parties do not book ordinary regular performances in advance. Arrive for the show time and buy tickets. Separate reservation guidance applies to groups of 20 or more.
- Getting thereWalk from Tokushima Station to Kaikan’s second-floor theatre. Bizan Ropeway departs from the fifth floor of the same building.
Kaikan show and ropeway fees and operationsOfficial price listIndividual and group reservation guidance
Bizan Ropeway
眉山ロープウエイ
Choose this for views towards the city, river and sea. Visibility depends on the weather, and you can ride from the same building after a performance.
- AdmissionJunior high school students and older pay JPY 1,500 return or JPY 900 one way. Elementary school students pay JPY 800 return or JPY 500 one way.
- HoursOpen 09:00–21:00 April–October and 09:00–17:30 November–March. Maintenance or bad weather can suspend service.
- Getting thereBoard at Kaikan’s fifth-floor base station and get off at the summit. The ride takes about six minutes; queues and a walk around the viewpoint take extra time.
Kaikan show and ropeway fees and operations
Uzunomichi
Uzunomichi Whirlpool Walkway大鳴門橋遊歩道 渦の道
At Uzunomichi, walk beneath the bridge and look down into Naruto Strait. The glass floor reveals the sea and currents underfoot. Whirlpool times and sizes vary each day, so plan around your date’s tide table.
- AdmissionAdmission costs JPY 510 for adults, JPY 410 for junior/senior high school students and JPY 260 for elementary school students. Children under six enter free.
- HoursOpen 09:00–18:00 March–September, last admission 17:30; 09:00–17:00 October–February, last admission 16:30. Golden Week and summer holidays have separate hours. Closed the second Monday of March, June, September and December, with additional closures announced December 14–16, 2026.
- Getting thereTake a Naruto Park-bound bus outside Tokushima Station, get off at the park and walk about five minutes. The facility gives a bus ride of about 80 minutes, excluding waits. For driving navigation, follow the facility’s official guidance and enter the Onaruto Bridge construction memorial hall, Eddy. Entering only Uzunomichi may direct you elsewhere.
- What to seeLook down into Naruto Strait from the under-bridge walkway and glass floor. Whirlpool viewing depends on tidal times.
Check admission and closuresTide table for your visit dateDirections to the entranceUzunomichi walkway and glass floor
Iya Vine Bridge
Iya-no-Kazurabashi祖谷のかずら橋
Cross a vine bridge above the valley. If the gaps in the decking or movement feel daunting, look at the bridge on site before deciding. You can also choose not to cross.
- AdmissionCrossing costs JPY 550 for junior high school students and older and JPY 350 for elementary school students. Preschool children enter free. Kazurabashi Yumebutai parking costs JPY 500 per ordinary car, separately from bridge admission. Parking cannot be reserved.
- HoursOpen 08:00–18:00 April–June, 07:30–18:30 July–August and 08:00–17:00 September–March. Check bad-weather operating changes separately.
- Getting thereContinue from JR Oboke Station by bus or taxi. Kazurabashi and Oku-Iya’s double vine bridges are different places, so distinguish your destination. The official walk from Kazurabashi or Kazurabashi Yumebutai stop to the bridge is about five minutes. By car, set Kazurabashi Yumebutai parking as your destination, park and walk through the facility to the bridge. Bus users should return to their arrival stop after visiting. First check whether that date’s buses and hotel transfers connect.
Wakimachi Udatsu Townscape
Udatsu Townscape脇町うだつの町並み
Walk slowly through Wakimachi Udatsu Townscape, looking at historic roofs and walls. Udatsu walls remain between houses, where they helped prevent fire spreading. Choose the street walk and paid Yoshida Residence interior separately.
- Fees and hoursDistinguish the street walk from interior visits. The connecting Ai Land Udatsu facility opens 09:00–17:30 and closes December 27–January 1. Yoshida Residence admission is JPY 510 for adults and JPY 250 for children; open 09:00–17:00, last admission 16:30. Shops have individual hours.
- Getting thereGo to Ai Land Udatsu’s passenger-car parking. Official tourist guidance gives a drive of about one hour five minutes from Tokushima city or seven minutes from Wakimachi IC. The 39-space ordinary-car lot differs from the tour-bus lot. Ask the facility about parking fees. After parking, walk towards the Yoshida Residence to enter the historic streets.
- What to seeSee historic exteriors and udatsu walls that helped stop fires spreading to neighbouring homes.
Ai Land Udatsu location and operationsYoshida Residence fees and hoursDistinguish passenger-car and tour-bus parkingWakimachi Udatsu Townscape’s historic homes and firebreak walls
Oboke Gorge Pleasure Cruise
大歩危峡観光遊覧船
You can also view Oboke Gorge from a boat. The roughly 30-minute cruise follows the river and returns to the same landing. The two-night Iya itinerary visits it on a different day from the vine bridge. Strong winds or high water can change service.
- AdmissionThe operator’s current prices are JPY 1,800 for adults and JPY 900 for ages three through elementary school. The tourism association’s JPY 1,500 adult price predates the September 2026 increase. Check admission against the operator’s current guidance.
- Hours and reservationsOpen 09:00–17:00, with final departure at 16:30. The ride takes about 30 minutes. Individuals and groups buy tickets at the first-floor counter without reservations. Strong winds or high water cancel sailings; low water can shorten the cruise. Queues and ticketing are extra to the 30-minute ride.
- Getting thereBy car, drive from your hotel to Obokekyo Mannaka in Nishi-U, Yamashiro-cho, Miyoshi. Park, buy tickets at the first-floor counter and proceed to the landing. From JR Oboke Station, the tourism association gives about 25 minutes on foot or five minutes by car. Actual driving time from your hotel and parking conditions need separate checks using your hotel address.
Cruise operator’s fares and boarding guidance2026 fare-change noticeTourism association parking and access
Before departure, on-the-day checks and FAQ
Are Naruto’s whirlpools visible at any time?
Whirlpools may be absent at some times. Check Uzunomichi’s tide table for your date alongside the admission cutoff.
Do I need to reserve a regular Awa Odori Kaikan show?
Individuals and small parties arrive for the show without advance reservations. Groups of 20 or more have separate reservation arrangements. Regular shows pause August 11–15, so do not apply ordinary show times and prices unchanged during that period.
Individual and group reservation guidanceOfficial price list
Do I have to pay Yoshida Residence admission to walk Udatsu Townscape?
Distinguish the street walk from the house interior. For the Yoshida Residence interior, pay JPY 510 for adults or JPY 250 for children. Open 09:00–17:00, last admission 16:30. Shops have individual hours.
Yoshida Residence fees and hoursAi Land Udatsu location and operations
Official sources and check dates
- Kaikan show and ropeway fees and operations ·
- Individual and group reservation guidance ·
- Check admission and closures ·
- Directions to the entrance ·
- Tide table for your visit date ·
- Admission and seasonal hours ·
- Parking fees and guidance ·
- Cruise operator’s fares and boarding guidance ·
- 2026 fare-change notice ·
- Ai Land Udatsu location and operations ·
- Yoshida Residence fees and hours ·
- Distinguish passenger-car and tour-bus parking ·
- Tourism association parking and access ·
- Official price list ·
- Wakimachi Udatsu Townscape’s historic homes and firebreak walls ·
- Uzunomichi walkway and glass floor ·