• Understand
• Get around
• See
• Do
• Buy
• Eat
• Drink
• Sleep
• Contact
• Get out

Dancer figures at the Awa Odori Kaikan

Tokushima (徳島) [1] is the capital of Tokushima prefecture on the island of Shikoku, Japan.

[edit] Understand

The main transport hub of eastern Shikoku, Tokushima city has only a few worthwhile attraction, but its palm-lined boulevards are pleasant enough to pass through on your way to more interesting places elsewhere in the prefecture.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

Pint-sized Tokushima Airport, to the north of the city, has daily services to Tokyo, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Sapporo. Buses to Tokushima station take 25 minutes and cost ¥430, the schedules are synchronized to flight departures/arrivals.

Buses run to Tokushima station from the recently-opened Kobe Airport every 1-2 hours at 55 minutes past (2 1/2 hours, ¥3200).

Airport Limousine buses operate from the nearest international gateway, Kansai International Airport in Osaka (2 3/4 hours, ¥4000 - cheaper if you purchase a round trip ticket).

[edit] By train

There are no train links through Awaji, but there are frequent services to Takamatsu and from there onward to Okayama via the Seto-Ohashi bridge.

From Okayama (a San'yo Shinkansen station), take a Marine Liner rapid train to Takamatsu, then transfer to the Uzushio limited express for the run to Tokushima (2 hours, ¥4420).

Two daily Uzushio trains run directly from Okayama, leaving at 10:52 and 18:52, with no change of trains required (¥5050).

These journeys can be taken at no cost with the Japan Rail Pass.

A rural line also runs toward Ikeda (2 hours), for connections south towards the Iya Valley.

[edit] By bus

If arriving from Kansai via Awaji Island, you're pretty much guaranteed to end up in Tokushima.

JR Bus operates many services to Tokushima: Awa Express bus service leaves from Kobe and Kobe Airport (2 hours from Shin-Kobe station, ¥3200, 15 daily round-trips), Osaka (2 3/4 hours, ¥3600, 23 daily round-trips) and Kyoto (3 hours, ¥4100, 7 daily round-trips).

An overnight Dream Tokushima bus runs from Tokyo and Shinjuku (10 hours, ¥10000 one way, ¥18000 round-trip).

Other bus operators such as Tokushima Bus offer services to Tokushima.

[edit] By ferry

Ocean East (03-5148-0109) operates a ferry service between Tokyo, Tokushima and Kita-Kyushu. Both the Tokyo and Kita-Kyushu runs are overnight; passengers can book Western-style bedrooms, bunks, or sleep on the floor. If you're sleeping on the floor, this is one of the cheapest ways to get to Tokushima: Tokyo fares are ¥9,310 each way, and Kita-Kyushu fares are ¥6,790 each way. First-class bedroom accommodation is ¥25,480 on the Tokyo run and ¥17,920 on the Kita-Kyushu run.

Nankai Ferry (073-422-2156) operates another ferry to Wakayama, which is easily accessible from the Osaka/Kyoto/Nara area. The ferry takes just two hours, costs ¥2,000 and runs every 2 hours or so, even in the middle of the night.

[edit] Get around

Central Tokushima is small enough to cover on foot. Buses radiate out to the suburbs.

[edit] See

• Awa Odori Kaikan (阿波おどり会館, [2]) is an interesting museum devoted to the Awa Odori festival (see Do). Exhibits include the history of the festival, videos and panoramas of the festival, and even the dancing Odobotto robot to show you how it's done! Open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM, entry to the museum ¥300. There are also several daily performances of the Awa Odori dances (¥500). Located straight down the road from the station, an easy 10-minute walk.
• Tokushima central park, behind the station, is a beautiful and well-used park. A brisk uphill walk (with lots of steps) takes you up to the ruins of Tokushima castle, and a view over the city. The castle museum is set in an exquisite traditional Japanese garden which you can enter for ¥300 which also pays for entry to the museum - come early in the morning for a misty and meditative experience (the museum opens later, at 9.30am, but it is worth having the garden to yourself for its best impact). The museum and garden are closed on Mondays.

[edit] Do

• The yearly Awa Odori (阿波おどり) festival, held in yearly from August 12 to 15, is by far Tokushima's largest claim to fame. With a history of over 400 years, people dance in the streets according to the complex choreography. As the famous proverb says, "The dancing fool and the watching fool are both fools, so why not dance!"
• Tokushima Indigo Museum is located in an antique house formerly owned by an indigo merchant and restored to show how traditional Japanese housing was laid out. For a small fee you can experience the fun of dyeing your own piece of fabric with real indigo, and be shown how to create one of the traditional patterns.
• Mount Bizan has 1500 cherry blossom trees and is an impressive sight at blossom time.
• The 88 Temple Pilgrimage passes through Tokushima, with temples 14 through 17 — Jōrakuji (常楽寺), Kokubunji (国分寺), Kan'onji (観音寺) and Idoji (井戸寺) — all located within city limits.

[edit] Buy

Tokushima became an important city largely because of its strategic position surrounded by rivers, and because of its indigo. Beautiful indigo products are available, ranging from handkerchiefs and scarves to cushions, and large door-curtains with traditional patterns. Local handmade paper is also famous. Otani-yaki pottery, with its natural muted colours and sometimes rustic-looking shapes, is another beautiful local product.

[edit] Eat

Awaodori is Tokushima's native chicken. Its name is a play on words with Awa Odori (the dance). The word Odori means "dance" but it can also be spelled with the japanese characters for "tail" and "bird".

Tokushima is also famous for its ramen noodles and its wonderful strawberries, and for the sudachi (a small round green citrus fruit with a lime-like flavour). In summer, many special local fish are available, especially in the form of sugata sushi (where a whole small fish is stuffed with sushi rice).

There are some nice places to eat within the central railway station and also in the big department stores nearby. Bento boxes on sale in the railway station (intended for train travellers) often feature local specialties and are a bargain.

[edit] Drink

Sudachi (the local lime-like citrus fruit) is featured in many soft drinks and liqueurs.

[edit] Sleep

• Tokushima Youth Hostel (徳島ＹＨ, tel. 088-663-1505) is somewhat inconveniently but beautifully located in the green seaside hills of Omiko (大神子), a 30-minute bus ride from the station. A bed for the night costs ¥3000; alternatively, you can camp in the little park by the seashore for free.

[edit] Contact

• TOPIA International Exchange Plaza, on the 6th floor of the shopping mall above JR Tokushima station, [3]. An excellent place to drop in with Internet access (50 yen / 10 min) and lots of guidebooks and other information to borrow. TOPIA staff can help you book accommodation and recommend things to see and do.

[edit] Get out

• Ryōzenji (霊山寺), the starting point of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage, is in the city of Naruto to the north of Tokushima.
• Check out the tidal whirlpools at Naruto, but confirm the times before you go — they can only be seen at certain times.