Why visit Japan?

Tokushima, Japan

by Claudia Santoro | Communications Director | @claudiasantoro1

Choose a balance of tradition and modern

Do you want to discover interesting, beautiful and natural attractions on the other side of the world? Tokushima, Japan is the right place for you! A huge unspoiled location in the North East of Shikoku Island, where you can discover Japanese traditions and immerse yourself in the authentic culture.

How to get around

After having flown into Kansai, you may have a 2-hour bus ride to reach Tokushima (previously called Awa) where there are 260,000 inhabitants. To get to Tokushima, you will drive over many bridges and be able to take in the beautiful waterfalls, valleys and villages. In just a few kilometres, you pass the sea to the mountains, from the modern to the traditional in the renowned punctual Japanese way.

To complete the tour of the city, you can stay at Tokushima Awa Kanko Hotel, located strategically for those visiting the major attractions. In fact, the hotel is a short walk from JR Central Station, linking the tourist attractions and other prefectures (main subdivisions of Japan). If you visit Naruto, the hotel Ridge or the Moana Resort hotel accommodations are ideal.

What to see and do

In the Iya Valley in the heart of Tokushima, you are immersed in a bamboo forest with rich, green, narrow trees which stand by Yoshino River, the youngest river in the region. Cross the river by boat starting from Ooboke to admire untouched nature, crystal clear water and huge rock formations that are classed as a natural treasure. Why not visit Ochiai village on the highest peak, where there is a small farming community? You can get into nature and participate in cooking workshops and local crafts without spending too much. Tokushima has 24 of the 88 temples, which makes Shikoku famous for the circular 1200-kilometre pilgrimage.

Head past the island of Awaji (known in Japanese folklore as the birthplace of Japan), to the Naruto Bridge, the longest bridge in the world and set your eyes on the phenomenon on the Naruto Whirlpools. To complete your trip, take a walk along the river in the city centre to enjoy the spectacle of LED lights of which Japan is the largest producer. Make sure you experience the Awa Odori dance at the Awa Odori Kaikan museum, where you can watch and even join in with the dance that shows the island’s folklore. For further folk tradition experiences, visit the Awa Jurobe Yashiki, the museum of puppets.

Do you know the traditional Japanese way of greeting? It is custom to remove your shoes at every entrance and greet with the classic ceremony of bowing to every person individually. That can be a lot of bowing! If you are a stickler for the rules, then here are 3 ways you can choose to bow: an informal 15-degree angle, a formal 30-degree angle and a very formal, deeper angle bow.

Where and what to eat

Cooking is an art and is done by professionals with lots of respect for food and nature. Each meal is carefully prepared and served in colourful bowls made from the manufacture of ceramics, or in lacquer, bamboo and wood. Many dishes are accompanied by sudachi, a citrus fruit like lime. Tokushima produces sake, a drink made from fermented rice so you will see this around. At the Sakaezushi restaurant, you can eat delicious sushi and sashimi served along with algae and wakame. In the Iya Bijin tattoria, you can try excellent grilled fish. For udon lovers, at Nimiya trattoria they serve wheat noodles. You cannot miss the traditional Japanese Ramen, traditional wheat noodles that are served in a meat broth and soy sauce seasoned with pork, spring onions and egg. For a traditional kaiseki meal, visit Toraya Kochu. If you want to try a hot pot, go to the Umikaze restaurant where each table has a personal grill on which to roast fish, meat and vegetables.