There are several Naruto in Japan. Long before becoming a world famous manga character, naruto has been the name to a special kind of Japanese surimi – white and pink on top of Tokyo-style ramen mostly. And these small whirlpools are themselves an evocation of the Naruto whirlpools, in the same name Strait between Shikoku and Awaji island. A rare phenomenon that had been a touristic spot for centuries in Japan. And is logically one of the Heisei 100 landscapes.

To get close to the whirlpools, ferries are convenient but slightly expensive (from 1500 to 2800 yen according to the boat and company).

On the ground, the best option is to reach Uzu no Michi, the walkway under Onaruto bridge and standing 40 meters above Naruto whirlpools (9:00am to 5:00pm, 510 yen).

The Naruto whirlpools are only to be seen twice a day, as they are a consequence of the tide. The timetable is online thanks to Uzu no Michi official website.

Hiroshige‘s Ukiyo-e depicting Naruto whirlpools.

How to get there?

The easiest way to reach Naruto’s whirlpool is definitely by car. But still the Naruto Park, from where they can be seen, is a bus ride away from Naruto station (25 minutes, 310 yen). The station being on the JR Naruto line. Another option is to reach the area from Tokushima using Highway buses.