Tokushima attractions: performance, strait and valley fees/access
Choose Awa Odori Kaikan for dance, or Bizan for city views. Time Uzu-no-Michi around the tidal-current table for whirlpools. For closer valley views, compare Iya’s vine bridge or the Oboke boat, first arranging western transport and accommodation.
Attraction fees and access
Awa Odori Kaikan
阿波おどり会館
Even outside the summer festival, see dance performances at Awa Odori Kaikan. You can also learn the dance during the participation section. Daytime shows last 40 minutes; arrive by the show’s start if including one on arrival day.
- AdmissionThe daytime show costs JPY 1,300 for adults or JPY 700 for primary and junior high school pupils. The evening show costs JPY 1,600 for adults or JPY 800 for those pupils. These differ from museum tickets.
- PerformancesRegular daytime shows start at 11:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00 and last 40 minutes each. The evening show starts at 20:00 and lasts 50 minutes. Regular shows pause from 11–15 August; festival special shows have separate dates and prices. Kaikan closes on the second Wednesday in February, June, September and December, or the following day if it is a public holiday, and from 28 December–1 January. Performance notices take precedence for temporary changes.
- ReservationsIndividuals/small groups do not reserve ordinary regular shows in advance. Arrive for the session and buy tickets. Groups of 20+ have separate booking guidance.
- Getting thereWalk from Tokushima Station to the Kaikan and go to the second-floor hall. The Bizan Ropeway boards on the same building’s fifth floor.
Kaikan performance/ropeway fares and servicesOfficial fare tableIndividual and group booking guide
Bizan Ropeway
眉山ロープウエイ
Choose views towards the city, river and sea. Visibility depends on weather. You can take the ropeway from the same building after a performance.
- AdmissionFor junior high school pupils and older visitors, ropeway tickets cost JPY 1,500 return or JPY 900 one way. For primary school pupils, they cost JPY 800 return or JPY 500 one way.
- HoursServices run from 09:00–21:00 in April–October and 09:00–17:30 in November–March. Maintenance and bad weather may suspend services.
- Getting thereBoard at the Kaikan’s fifth-floor base station and alight at the summit. Ride about 6 minutes; waiting and viewpoint walks need extra time.
Kaikan performance/ropeway fares and services
Uzu-no-Michi
Uzunomichi Whirlpool Walkway大鳴門橋遊歩道 渦の道
Walk beneath the bridge at Uzu-no-Michi and look down over the Naruto Strait. See water below your feet through glass floor panels. Whirlpool timing and size vary daily; plan around your date’s tidal-current table.
- AdmissionAdmission costs JPY 510 for adults, JPY 410 for junior and senior high school pupils or JPY 260 for primary school pupils. Children under 6 enter free.
- HoursThe facility opens from 09:00–18:00 in March–September, with last entry at 17:30, and 09:00–17:00 in October–February, with last entry at 16:30. Golden Week and summer holidays have separate hours. It closes on the second Monday in March, June, September and December; an additional closure is announced for 14–16 December 2026.
- Getting thereTake a Naruto Park-bound bus from in front of Tokushima Station, then walk about 5 minutes from the park stop. Facility guidance gives roughly 80 minutes by bus, excluding waits. For driving, follow official guidance and navigate to the Onaruto Bridge Memorial Museum Eddy; entering only Uzu-no-Michi may direct you elsewhere.
- What to seeLook down over the Naruto Strait from the under-bridge walkway and glass floor panels. Whirlpool viewing depends on tidal-current times.
Check fees and closuresCurrent table for your visiting dateDirections to the entranceUzu-no-Michi walkway and glass floor
Iya Kazurabashi
Iya-no-Kazurabashi祖谷のかずら橋
Cross a vine bridge over the valley. If gaps in the floor or movement concern you, inspect the bridge on site before deciding. You can choose not to cross.
- AdmissionCrossing costs JPY 550 for junior high school pupils and older visitors or JPY 350 for primary school pupils. Preschool children cross free. Kazurabashi Yumebutai parking costs JPY 500 per ordinary car, separate from bridge admission. Parking reservations are not accepted.
- HoursThe bridge opens from 08:00–18:00 in April–June, 07:30–18:30 in July–August and 08:00–17:00 in September–March. Check bad-weather changes separately.
- Getting thereContinue from JR Oboke Station by bus or taxi. Iya Kazurabashi and Oku-Iya’s double vine bridges are different destinations. Official guidance gives about 5 minutes on foot from Kazurabashi or Kazurabashi Yumebutai stop. When driving, navigate to Yumebutai car park and walk through the facility to the bridge. Bus users must return to their arrival stop afterwards. First check your date’s buses and accommodation transfers.
Wakimachi Udatsu streets
Udatsu Townscape脇町うだつの町並み
Walk slowly through Wakimachi’s Udatsu streets to see old roofs and walls. Udatsu walls between houses helped prevent fire spreading. Choose the street walk separately from the paid Yoshida residence interior.
- Fees and hoursDistinguish street walking from house interiors. Airando Udatsu opens from 09:00–17:30 and closes from 27 December–1 January. Optional Yoshida residence entry costs JPY 510 for adults or JPY 250 for children. It opens from 09:00–17:00, with last entry at 16:30. Shops have individual hours.
- Getting thereDrive to Airando Udatsu’s passenger-car park. Official tourism guidance gives about 1 hour 5 minutes from Tokushima City or 7 minutes from Wakimachi IC. Its 39 ordinary-car spaces differ from the tourist-coach park. Confirm parking fees with the facility. After parking, walk towards the Yoshida residence into the old streets.
- What to seeSee old house exteriors and udatsu walls that helped stop fire spreading to neighbouring homes.
Airando Udatsu location and operationYoshida residence fees and hoursDistinguish passenger-car and tourist-coach parkingWakimachi Udatsu streets’ old houses and firebreak walls
Oboke Gorge sightseeing boat
Oboke Gorge Pleasure Cruise大歩危峡観光遊覧船
See Oboke Gorge from a boat below its walls. The boat follows the river for about 30 minutes and returns to the same landing stage. The two-night Iya course visits it on a separate day from the vine bridge. Strong winds or high water may change operations.
- AdmissionThe operator currently lists JPY 1,800 for adults and JPY 900 for children aged 3 through primary school. The tourism association’s JPY 1,500 adult figure predates the September 2026 increase. Use the operator’s current guidance to check boat fares.
- Hours and reservationsServices run from 09:00–17:00, with the last departure at 16:30. The ride takes about 30 minutes; individuals and groups buy tickets without reservations at the ground-floor counter. Strong winds or high water may cancel sailings, while low water may shorten them. Allow extra time for tickets and waits beyond the 30-minute ride.
- Getting thereIf driving, travel to Obokekyo Mannaka in Nishi-u, Yamashirocho, Miyoshi City, park, buy a ticket at the ground-floor counter and reach the landing stage. From JR Oboke Station, tourism guidance gives about 25 minutes on foot or 5 minutes by car. Driving time from your accommodation and parking conditions depend on its actual address and need separate checks.
Boat operator’s fares and boarding guide2026 fare-change noticeTourism-association parking and access
Before departure, on-the-day checks and FAQs
Can I see Naruto’s whirlpools at any time?
Whirlpools may be absent at some times. Check your date’s Uzu-no-Michi tidal-current table alongside last admission.
Must I book Awa Odori Kaikan’s regular performances?
Individuals/small groups visit at show time without advance booking; groups of 20+ have separate booking requirements. Regular shows pause 11–15 August: do not apply ordinary times/prices unchanged during that period.
Must I pay Yoshida residence admission to walk the Udatsu streets?
Distinguish street walking from house interiors. Optional Yoshida residence interior costs JPY 510 per adult or JPY 250 per child, open 09:00–17:00, last entry 16:30. Shops have individual hours.
Yoshida residence fees and hoursAirando Udatsu location and operation
Official sources and check dates
- Kaikan performance/ropeway fares and services ·
- Individual and group booking guide ·
- Check fees and closures ·
- Directions to the entrance ·
- Current table for your visiting date ·
- Fees and seasonal hours ·
- Parking fees and use ·
- Boat operator’s fares and boarding guide ·
- 2026 fare-change notice ·
- Airando Udatsu location and operation ·
- Yoshida residence fees and hours ·
- Distinguish passenger-car and tourist-coach parking ·
- Tourism-association parking and access ·
- Official fare table ·
- Wakimachi Udatsu streets’ old houses and firebreak walls ·
- Uzu-no-Michi walkway and glass floor ·