Naruto Beyond the Whirlpools: A Local’s Guide to Food, Temple 1, Beethoven’s Ninth and the Coast

Quick answer: Most visitors see Naruto’s whirlpools and leave — but there’s more. Eat Naruto sea bream, wakame seaweed and Naruto kintoki sweet potatoes (the Kurukuru Naruto roadside station is the easiest place to find them all). Look down on the whirlpools from the Uzu-no-Michi glass-floor walkway (¥510, cash only for now). Start the Shikoku Pilgrimage at Ryozenji, Temple 1. Learn how Beethoven’s Ninth was first performed in Asia here, at the German House (¥400). And if you fish, the Naruto Strait is famous for sea bream.

I live in Tokushima and know Naruto well. I’ve eaten Naruto sea bream and wakame, bought Naruto kintoki sweets, walked the Uzu-no-Michi, visited Temple 1 and some of the town’s other museums, gone fishing in the strait, and shopped at Kurukuru Naruto. Here’s what I’d show a friend after the whirlpool boat.

For the whirlpools themselves — tides, boats and timing — see my Naruto Whirlpools guide.

Eat: Naruto’s local food

The fast tidal currents of the Naruto Strait shape the food here.

• Naruto-dai (sea bream): the fish swim against strong currents, so the flesh is firm. Caught all year; best in spring, when it’s called sakura-dai (“cherry-blossom bream”). Try it as sashimi or on rice. I’ve eaten it myself.
• Naruto wakame: thick, glossy seaweed. The new-season wakame comes out in February and early March. I’ve eaten it myself.
• Naruto kintoki: a sweet potato with red skin and golden flesh, sweetest from November to February. You’ll find it roasted, and in cakes, soft-serve and other sweets. I’ve bought kintoki sweets myself.
• Naruchuru udon: a local udon with soft, thin, uneven noodles in a light broth.

Where to find them: Michi-no-Eki Kurukuru Naruto (9:00–17:00, open every day) sells local produce, fresh fish and sweet-potato sweets, and has several places to eat. I’ve shopped here myself. See What to Eat in Tokushima.

Walk over the whirlpools: Uzu-no-Michi

Uzu-no-Michi is a walkway built inside the Onaruto Bridge, 45 metres above the sea, with glass floor panels so you can look straight down into the strait. I’ve walked it myself.

• Admission: ¥510 for adults.
• Hours: 9:00–17:00 from October to February; 9:00–18:00 from March to September (longer in summer holidays).
• Cash only for now (since May 2026, during construction of the bridge’s new cycle path).
• Closed: the 2nd Monday of March, June, September and December, and 14–16 December 2026.
• Go at the time of the strongest tidal current to see the whirlpools from above.

The Uzu-no-Michi and whirlpool boat combo ticket has been discontinued.

Start the pilgrimage: Ryozenji, Temple 1

Ryozenji is the first of the 88 temples of the Shikoku Pilgrimage, a route of about 1,460 km around the island. Pilgrims gather here to buy their gear and begin. I’ve visited the temple myself.

• About 10 minutes on foot from JR Bando Station. Free car park.
• The temple shop sells pilgrim gear: the white robe (hakue), stole, staff, prayer beads and stamp book. You don’t need everything at once; the stamp book and white robe are the basics.
• A custom: the staff represents Kobo Daishi, so don’t tap it on bridges.

See Shikoku Pilgrimage: Tokushima Temples 1–23 and Temples 1–10 by Car.

Beethoven’s Ninth: the German House

During the First World War, German prisoners of war were held at the Bando camp in Naruto (1917–1920). The camp was known for treating prisoners humanely, and local people came to know the prisoners well. On 1 June 1918, the prisoners’ orchestra gave the first full performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Asia here.

The Naruto German House (Doitsukan) tells the story, with a theatre show about the concert every 30 minutes.

• Admission: ¥400. 9:30–17:00. Closed the 4th Monday of each month.
• Photography isn’t allowed in the exhibition rooms.
• About 5 minutes by taxi from JR Bando Station (or a 25-minute walk) — close to Ryozenji, so it’s easy to visit both.

Besides the Otsuka Museum of Art, I’ve visited some of Naruto’s other museums myself.

The coast

Naruto’s coastline is beautiful — sandy coves, rocky shores and views of the Onaruto Bridge. I know these shores well. The Senjojiki viewpoint in Naruto Park, looking over the strait, is a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty.

But be careful in the water: the tidal currents around Naruto are very strong, and I couldn’t find any officially monitored swimming beach in Naruto for 2026. Enjoy the coast from the shore.

Fishing in the Naruto Strait

Naruto is one of the best-known sea-fishing areas in western Japan, and the strait is famous for red sea bream (madai). I’ve been boat fishing here myself.

• Charter boats leave mainly from Kameura port near the bridge, usually at sunrise. Many rent tackle and welcome beginners. Booking is required, often by phone in Japanese.
• Seasons: sea bream from spring to autumn; squid in autumn.
• Rules: wear a life jacket, and don’t take abalone, sea cucumber, spiny lobster or octopus — these are protected by local fishing rights.

See Seto Inland Sea Fishing Charters for how to book.

Plan your day

1. Morning: whirlpool boat at the best tide time (see my whirlpool guide), or Uzu-no-Michi.
2. Lunch: sea bream and wakame.
3. Afternoon: Ryozenji and the German House near Bando Station.
4. On the way home: Kurukuru Naruto for kintoki sweets.

Add the Otsuka Museum of Art for a second day, or cross to Awaji Island. Pottery lovers can visit the kilns of Otani-yaki, in the same Oasa district as Ryozenji.

FAQ

What is there to do in Naruto besides the whirlpools?
Eat local sea bream, wakame and sweet potatoes, walk the Uzu-no-Michi, visit Temple 1 of the Shikoku Pilgrimage and the German House.

Can I pay by card at Uzu-no-Michi?
Not at the moment. It’s cash only during construction work (since May 2026).

Where was Beethoven’s Ninth first performed in Asia?
At the Bando prisoner-of-war camp in Naruto, on 1 June 1918.

Can I swim in Naruto?
The currents are strong, and no monitored swimming beach was listed for 2026. Enjoy the coast from the shore.

Fees, hours and seasons checked on official Naruto City, Uzu-no-Michi, German House and Shikoku Pilgrimage websites on 25 October 2026.

Kaz

Tokushima local with family roots in Hiroshima

I live in Tokushima and my family is from Hiroshima, where I also used to live. I still go back several times a year. The guides here come from places I have actually been. Where I haven't tried something myself, I say so.