Tokushima Hidden Gems
Mountain valleys crossed by vine bridges, a whirlpool-filled strait, and the country's most famous dance festival.
6 spots
Climate & Best Season
Warm and rainy, with typhoon exposure in late summer; the Iya valley is cooler and snows lightly. August for Awa Odori.
Famous For (Food)
- Tokushima ramen
- Sudachi citrus
- Handa somen
- Naruto wakame
Signature Sights
- Awa Odori
- Iya Valley vine bridges
- Naruto whirlpools
- Shikoku pilgrimage temples 1–23
Awa Odori Festival — Japan's Wildest Dance Party
Awa Odori (阿波踊り) is Tokushima's signature dance festival held every August 12–15, drawing 1.2 million visitors to watch…
Iya Valley Vine Bridges — Gorge-Spanning Suspension
Step onto the slats and the bridge lurches sideways. Vine cables groan. Through the 7-centimeter gaps between boards, th…
Ryozen-ji Temple — Start of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage
Ryozen-ji (霊山寺) is Temple #1 of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage (四国八十八ヶ所, Shikoku Hachijū-Hakkasho), a 1,200km Buddhist pilgrim…
Iya Valley Scarecrow Village — Life-Size Doll Population
Nagoro (名頃) is a depopulated mountain hamlet in the Iya Valley where life-size scarecrows (案山子, kakashi) outnumber human…
Awa Indigo Dyeing — Traditional Blue Textile Craft
Tokushima was historically Japan's leading producer of ai (藍, indigo dye), with Awa indigo (阿波藍) considered the highest…
Udatsu Townscape — Edo Merchant District
The Udatsu Townscape (うだつの町並み) in Mima City preserves an Edo-period merchant district where wealthy indigo traders built…