History / Culture / Tour Spots in Tokushima Area

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Category

Travel / Tourism

History / Culture / Tour

Otsuka Museum of Art

4.5

992 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Tokushima Pref. Narutoshi Narutochoutosadomariura Fukuike 65-1

Located in Naruto Town, Naruto City, Tokushima Prefecture, this art museum has the largest permanent exhibition space in Japan. The exhibits consist of more than 1,000 Western paintings reproduced in full scale on ceramic panels. Visitors can appreciate masterpieces from all over the world such as Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, Edvard Munch’s The Scream and Picasso’s Guernica. The viewing route through the museum is about four kilometers long. There is also a museum shop and a restaurant where visitors can enjoy meals while looking out over the garden.

Its wonderful that everything is carefully reproduced on a ceramic plate and on the actual sizeら. The works that I have seen in art museums during my travels all over the world are displayed all at...
Awaodorikaikan

4.0

411 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Tokushima ken Tokushima-shi Shimomachi Bridge2-20

"Opened in 1999, the Awa Odori Hall on the second floor features the Awa Odori Kaikan's resident troupe, ""Awa no Kaze,"" who perform on stage. In addition, there is an Awa Odori Museum on the 3rd floor that introduces the history of Awa Odori dance, a corner selling local specialties on the 1st floor, and the foot station of the Mt."

There are five performances daily. We were able to dance with them after a short explanation. This is a must if you want to see real awa odors dancing.
Yakuo-ji Temple

4.0

79 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Tokushima Pref. Kaifugunminamichou Okugawauchi Teramae 285-1

The Yakuo-ji Temple is a Koya-san Shingon Buddhist temple located in Okugawauchi, Minami-cho, Tokushima Prefecture. It is the 23rd temple visited on the Shikoku 88-temple Pilgrimage; the temple’s formal name is Iozan Muryoju-in. According to legend, the temple was founded in 726 by the Buddhist monk Gyoki on the orders of the Emperor Shomu. The main object of veneration at the Yakuo-ji Temple is a statue of the Yakushi Nyorai Buddha (Medicine Buddha), and praying at the temple is believed to be very effective at warding off evil. The main hall is reached by two flights of stone steps: the Onna-yaku Zaka (33 steps) and the Otoko-yaku Zaka (42 steps). Further on, the Yugi-to pagoda houses an exhibition room and observation platform; downstairs, pilgrims worship by walking round the Yakushiji Sanzon (a triad of three Buddha statues).

なかなか立派な遍路寺です。開創１３００年に及ぶ寺院の縁起だけではなくて、関わっていた人物も聖徳太子の勅願で行基菩薩が建立し、そこへ空海・弘法大師が平城天皇の勅令で本尊、厄除薬師如来像を刻んで厄除の根本祈願寺とした、と云う、仏教界の当初の偉人が総出演で成した寺院です。これだけ役者が揃っている寺院は全国広と云えどもそうは無い、昔から全国区で厄除に人が訪れたのも理解は出来る。堂塔そのものは何度も戦火に遭...
Ooasahiko Shrine

4.5

82 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Tokushima Pref. Narutoshi Oasachoubandou Hiroduka 13

This shrine is dedicated to two Shinto deities, Osahiko-no-Okami and Sarutahiko no Okami. Although the exact date of its founding is unclear, this ancient shrine had already become one of the representative shrines of Awa Province by about 1,100 years ago. The shrine’s sacred tree, a more than 1,000-year-old camphor tree, has been designated as a Naruto City cultural property.

大麻比古神社（おおあさひこじんじゃ）は、徳島県鳴門市大麻町板東広塚（とくしまけんなるとしおおあさちょうばんどうひろづか）にある神社だ。阿波國一の宮で、祭神は大麻比古神（おおあさひこのかみ）、猿田彦大神...
Tokushima City Tokushima Castle Museum

3.5

68 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Tokushima Pref. Tokushimashi Tokushimachoujounai 1-8

This is a museum erected at the site of the Tokushima Castle palace ruins in Tokushima Central Park, Tokushima City. It is only a 10-minute walk from the JR Tokushima Station. The permanent exhibit is divided into five themes showcasing artisan works and historical materials of the Tokushima domain and the Hachisuka clan. Here, the Senzanmaru, a national Important Cultural Property that is a decorative whaling ship from the Tokushima domain is the main attraction amongst many other treasures. The museum annually hosts six special exhibits or themed exhibits. The visitors to the history museum may use the same ticket to enjoy the adjoining former Tokushima Castle Omote Goten Garden as well.

Tokushima castle museum is small but has a very nice collection of artifacts and information about the castle history and region. It is surrounded by a beautiful Japanese garden with some wildlife.
Onaruto Bridge Museum Eddy

3.5

64 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Tokushima Pref. Narutoshi Narutochoutosadomariura Fukuike Naruto park

This memorial hall is based on the theme of whirlpools and bridges. Inside the building, you’ll find a theater, games, and simulations that teach visitors about the construction of the Onaruto Bridge and the whirlpools that appear in the Naruto Channel. The observation facility on the roof offers a 360-degree view of the Naruto Channel and Onaruto Bridge, as well as the Pacific Ocean side of Wakayama Prefecture and Shodoshima Island in the Seto Inland Sea.

Fantastic walk under the Onaruto Bridge to view the magnificent whirlpool. Need to be mindful of the timing or else you would not be able to witness one. The whirlpool happens during low tide where...
Iya-no-Kazurabashi Bridge

Travel / Tourism

Tokushima Pref. Miyoshishi Nishiyayamamurazentoku 162-2

Designated as an Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property of the country, the 45 meter long and two meter wide suspension bridge crosses the clear running waters of the Iya River at a height of 14 meters above the water’s surface. The bridge is made of hardy kiwi vines that grow wild in the cold mountains and are replaced once every three years. Various views exist as to why the bridge was originally built, one of which says that it was constructed by fugitives of the Taira clan who, in order to prevent attackers getting close, built it out of vines so they could quickly cut it down. Another probable story says that it was made by the saint, Kobo Daishi, who used to roam the valleys of Iya, in order to help stricken villagers.
Idoji Temple

4.0

45 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Tokushima Pref. Tokushimashi Kokufuchouido Kitayashiki 80-1

Idoji Temple, located to the west of Nakaakui Bridge, is the 17th temple of the Shikoku 88-temple Pilgrimage. It used to be named Myoshoji Temple but it came to be called “Ido (Well) Temple” because of the story that Kobo Daishi dug a well with his staff for the local people who were lacking water. The well itself remains as the “Omokage no Ido.” The seven Buddha Yakushi Nyorai—main temple idols—are located in the main hall and were said to have been made by Shotoku Taishi. Visitors can come and worship directly. The eleven-faced Kannon bodhisattva located in the Kannon hall is designated as an Important Cultural Property.

アクセスがしやすい寺院でした。何度も参拝・遍路しているお馴染みの寺院です。開創１３５０年の古寺中の古寺名刹です。ネット上にも寺院の事については詳しく紹介されているので略。小さなお堂ですが、日限大師はいつ来ても面白い、目は相当弱っているものの、不思議に井戸にはちゃんと自分の姿が映っている。余り無駄に長生きはしたくないのですが・・・(不謹慎で申し訳ないが)。健康で好きなように行動出来るならいつまでも長...
Unpenji Temple

4.0

39 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Tokushima Pref. Miyoshishi Ikedachouhakuchi Norochi 763

This temple belongs to the Omuro sect of Shingon Buddhism and is located in Ikeda Town in Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture near the summit of Mt. Unpenji, and it is the 66th temple of the Shikoku 88-temple Pilgrimage. It has the highest altitude of all the temples in the Shikoku Pilgrimage. It is said to have been erected by a 16-year-old Kukai in 789 when he visited the area. Afterward, under orders from Emperor Saga, he is said to have sculpted the principal image of Senju Kannon Bosatsu in 818 and performed the seven sacred rites. On the temple grounds, the principal image joins a standing statue of Vaisravana and other National Important Cultural Properties, and you’ll also find a statue of Gohyakurakan, a “wish-granting eggplant,” and other items worth seeing. This temple is known for its beautiful fall foliage, and a ropeway operates from the foot of the mountain.

堂塔も景観も境内の石の羅漢さんも紅葉も、寺院の縁起と歴史も、全てが揃った素晴らしい遍路寺、霊場です。今回の遍路では少し気になることを耳にはさんだので・・。歩き遍路の方がおられて本堂前で納経時間が重複したので、私が先達を担っているグループは先に大師堂で納経したのだが、歩き遍路のグループの一人が極めて不見識かつ非常識な発言をした。「バス乗って下の駐車場まで来ているのだから、納経位は歩いて廻っている者に...
Tairyu-ji Temple

4.5

47 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Tokushima Pref. Ananshi Kamochou Yongsan 2

The Tairyu-ji Temple is the 21st temple of the Shikoku 88-temple Pilgrimage. According to tradition, the Temple was founded towards the end of the 8th century on the orders of Emperor Kammu. Legend has it that, when Kobo Daishi was aged around 19, he engaged in a devotional practice called Kokuzo-gumonji-ho by chanting a mantra one million times on top of a peak called Mt. Shashin, which is located around 600 meters southeast of the Temple precincts. This peak can be viewed while traveling on the ropeway that leads up to the Tairyu-ji Temple; a bronze statue of Kobo Daishi engaged in his religious devotions has been installed there.

Visited this temple as part of my 88 Temple Pilgrimage. When I visited, the only options were to either walk or take the cable car. The cable car costs ¥2400 for the round trip, but if you take your...
The Naruto German House

4.0

77 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Tokushima Pref. Narutoshi Oasachouhinoki Higashiyamada 55-2

This museum features exhibits on the activities of German soldiers imprisoned at the Bando prisoner-of-war camp, their exchanges with locals, and other subjects. Musical activities in particular thrived at the Bando prisoner-of-war camp, which was the site of the first concert performance of the entirety of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony in Asia. In addition to exhibits and a museum shop, the museum also has large and small conference rooms available for rent.

This is the museum that was built to remember the German prisoners who spent the war years in a camp run by the Japanese government. The museum itself is very well done and includes many samples of...
Temple No. 10, Kirihataji Temple

4.0

39 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Tokushima Pref. Awashi Ichibachoukirihata Kannon 129

The Kihata-ji Temple is a Koya-san Shingon Buddhist temple in Awa City. It’s formal name is Tokudo-zan Kanjo-in; it is the 10th temple visited on the Shikoku 88-temple Pilgrimage. According to legend, when the monk Kobo Daishi was practicing asceticism in this area, he asked a weaver’s daughter to give him some fabric offcuts to patch his monk’s robe with; in order to give him offcuts, the girl generously cut up the piece of cloth that she had just finished weaving for him to use. In return for her kindness, Kobo Daishi offered to carve a statue of Senju Kannon (Thousand Armed Avalokiteshwara) for the repose of her parents’ souls. When he performed the kanjo ceremony while bestowing the statue on the girl, she instantly attained Buddhahood and took on the likeness of Senju Kannon. The temple’s name and formal name both derive from this legend. Besides the statue of Senju Kannon in the Hon-do (main hall) which is the main object of veneration at the temple, Senju Kannon Bosatsu is also worshipped here in the form of a Bodhisattva.

なかなか立派な寺院でしたが、それ以前に、ここは最近の楽して訪れることが出来る遍路寺の中にあっては、異色の存在、名にしおう難所寺でした。つまり、参拝するのに高齢者にとってはかなりしんどい寺院です。本堂までだけでも３００数十段の石段があり、大塔へ行くには更に数十段が・・・。後期高齢者の私達にとっては・・・本堂下までのチャータータクシーが無いと・・・とても無理！たった６５０円で往復、ほぼカバーして貰える...
Hiwasa Sea Turtle Museum Caretta

4.0

54 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Tokushima Pref. Kaifugunminamichou Hiwasaura 370-4

"This museum with its focus on sea turtles is one of only a handful worldwide. ""Caretta"" is another name for loggerhead turtles. The museum explains sea turtle ecology through fossils and panel displays. Recently hatched baby sea turtles are on display in their own special tank, and you can see rare sea turtle varieties in the facility's Large Turtle Pool and the Floating Sea Turtle Hall. On holidays they hold special programs that let you feed the turtles and get close to the hatchlings. "

This amazing museum is named after the scientific term for loggerhead sea turtles. Every year between May and August, loggerhead turtles come to lay eggs in the sand of Ohama beach, which is just a...
Fujiidera Temple

3.5

37 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Tokushima Pref. Yoshinogawashi Kamojimachouino 1525

This temple belongs to the Rinzai sect of Myoshinji Temple and is located in Kamojima Town, Yoshinogawa City, Tokushima Prefecture, and it is the 11th temple of the Shikoku 88-temple Pilgrimage. It is said that in 815, Kukai, at the unlucky age of 42, sculpted a statue of Bhaisajyaguru and constructed the hall to help stave off bad luck for himself and all living things. The five-colored wisteria that Kukai is said to have planted on the temple grounds are the origin of the temple’s name, and they bloom in late April every year. The principal image has been designated an Important Cultural Properties and is beloved by locals for its evil-warding properties. The unryu (dragon and cloud) painting on the ceiling of the main hall is a must-see. There is a treacherous path called the “henro korogashi (falling pilgrim)” that leads to Shosanji Temple, the 12th temple on the pilgrimage.

季節には花が咲き乱れる美しいお寺ですが、本日は真冬のお遍路なので、花は無し、寒風吹き荒ぶ境内でした。ここも又、四国の無頼漢、長曾我部元親に焼かれた寺院ですが、後年、再建された歴史を有する。但し、本尊だけは長宗我部にも焼かれなかった、と云うことで、厄除薬師の異名も有する国の重要文化財です。この像は四国霊場最古とも云われています。何よりも、ここの特色は寺名にあります。「寺＝じ」じゃなくて「寺＝てら」と...
Tokushima Prefectural Awa Jurobe Yashiki (Puppet Theater and Museum)

4.5

61 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Tokushima Pref. Tokushimashi Kawauchichou Miyajimahonura 184

Located approximately 15 minutes by car or 30 minutes by bus from JR Tokushima Station, the Tokushima Prefectural Awa Jurobe Yashiki (Puppet Theater and Museum) is housed in the former residence of Bando Jurobe, the historical figure who inspired the Ningyo Joruri puppet theater play Keisei Awa no Naruto. Awa Ningyo Joruri puppet theater performances are held in the Museum on a daily basis. The Museum’s exhibition room houses displays on the Ningyo Joruri puppet theater tradition and on the deko puppets used. A wide range of special events are held to provide opportunities for more people to learn about Ningyo Joruri puppet theatre.

I loved everything about this place. Get there about 30 minutes early and catch the guided museum tour; a docent shows how the puppets work. The museum exhibits are all in English as well as...
Tatsue-ji Temple

4.0

33 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Tokushima Pref. Komatsushimashi Tatsuechou Wakamatsu 13

Tatsue-ji Temple is a Koyasan Shingon Buddhist temple in Tatsue Town, Komatsushima City, Tokushima Prefecture and is the 19th temple of the Shikoku 88-temple Pilgrimage. In 747 priest Gyoki carved a small statue of the Enmei Jizo as the principal image and built a pagoda for the Jizo to pray for smooth delivery for Empress Komyo. In 815 Kobo Daishi carved a large Jizo Buddha statue and put the principal image in its womb. Apart from many worshippers praying for an easy birth the temple is also famous as a “General Checkpoint of Shikoku” where wicked people were punished. The pictures on the ceiling in the main hall drawn when the temple was restored in 1977 are a must see. On the grounds there is the Kuro Kami Hall which is said to have remains of the hair pulled from women who were unfaithful to the morality.

相当な古寺です。創建１３００年に及ぼうかと云う名刹です。ここも又、四国の放火魔兼殺戮者の長曾我部何某とか云う文化財の破壊者によって焼失させられた寺院です。その後に再建されているので国宝とかはありません。気味が悪い伝説も残っているが、余り興味はありません。仁王門も多宝塔もなかなか立派な造りの堂塔です。ここにはどうでも良いと云うよりは、むしろ、あってはならないような余計な口コミページが沢山あります。ま...
Byodoji Temple

4.0

27 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Tokushima Pref. Ananshi Aratanochou Akiyama 177

This is a Koyasan Shingon school temple in Aratano-cho, Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture and is 22nd temple of the 88 sacred places on the Shikoku Pilgrimage. The origin of this temple is said to be that, at this site, Kobo Daishi found a Bhaisajyaguru and carved his own statue of it, building the temple and making it the principal object of worship. The milky water that welled up at this time (it is now clear and colorless) became known as Kobo’s Miracle-working Water effective for all kinds of ailments and many worshippers put it in containers and take it home. The main hall, which was reconstructed in the middle of the Edo period, has a painted ceiling depicting the traditional themes of natural Japanese beauty.

良い寺院なんだが、印象としては薄い寺院で、一日経つとどんなだったか？余り覚えていない。特に泊りがけで何か寺も続けて遍路していると余程の寺院でないと記憶には残らない。ここは四国８８所霊場第２２番札所、山号は白水山、院号は医王院、と、云うことはご本尊は薬師如来さんと云うことになる。
Boyazan Hojuin Onzanji Temple

4.0

30 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Tokushima Pref. Komatsushimashi Tanochou Onzanjidani 40

Boyazan Hojuin Onzanji on top of a small mountain located in a suburb of Komatsushima City, Tokushima Prefecture is a temple of the Koyasan Shingon sect, and the 18th temple of the Shikoku 88-temple Pilgrimage. It is said that Gyoki was established at the behest of the Syomu Emperor (724 to 749), and it is also known as the temple where Kobo daishi lifted the ban prohibiting women from visiting the temple for his mother. Tamayorigozen’s teihatsujo where the mother of Daishi cut and dedicated her hair to become a priest, Biranju, where the bishop wood is also a Prefectural Natural Monument, and a statue of Kobo daishi which he is said to have carved himself are must-sees in the precinct.

なかなか良い遍路寺です、としか言いようがない程度の普通のありふれた寺院でした。縁起は１２００年を超える由緒ある寺院。昔は女人禁制だったらしい。知名度の割には印象が薄い寺院でした。本堂や大師堂よりも十大弟子像の方が見応えがあった。この遍路寺は効能抜群の「摺袈裟」で有名です。
Temple No. 5, Jizoji Temple

4.0

33 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Tokushima Pref. Itanogunitanochou Rakan Hayashihigashi 5

The Jizo-ji Temple is an Omuro Shingon Buddhist Temple located in Itano Town, Itano District, Tokushima Prefecture. It is the fifth temple visited on the Shikoku 88-temple Pilgrimage; the temple’s formal name is Mujin-zan Shogo-in. The Jizo-ji Temple is renowned for the 500 Arhat statues in the Okuno-in Hall.The temple is said to have been founded in 821 by Kobo Daishi (Kukai) on the orders of the Saga Emperor; Kobo Daishi personally carved a statue of the Shogun Jizo bodhisattva (approximately 5 cm high) to be the temple’s main object of veneration. Subsequently, Jokan Shonin, the officiating monk for Kumano Gongen, carved a statue of the Enmei Jizo bodhisattva (approximately 80 cm high) from Kumano Gongen’s sacred tree, and the statue of the Shogun Jizo bodhisattva carved by Kobo Daishi was placed inside this new statue. The temple thrived under the patronage of devout warlords, until it was destroyed by the armies of Motochika Chosokabe. The buildings that the visitor sees today date from the Edo period, when the temple was rebuilt on the orders of the Hachisuka family (the lords of the Tokushima domain).

弘法大師像をバックに仁王門から境内に進むと左手側が本堂となっていました。ゆったりした印象の平らな境内で、これなら急階段を上がる必要も無く参拝し易いと見受けられました。又、少し離れた奥の院には五百羅漢が祀られており、こちらは拝観料200円となっていました。
Ryozen-ji Temple (Starting point for the Shikoku 88-temple Pilgrimage)

3.5

7 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Tokushima Pref. Narutoshi Oasachoubandou Tsukahana 126

Ryozen-ji Temple is a Koya-san Shingon Buddhist temple that, according to legend, was founded by the monk Gyoki during the Tempyo era (729–749) on the orders of the Shomu Emperor. The Temple’s formal name is Zikuwazan Ichijoin Ryozenji. Selected for inclusion in the “88 Best Places to Visit in Tokushima,” the Ryozen-ji Temple is also the starting-point for the Shikoku 88-temple Pilgrimage, and is affectionately known as Ichi-ban-san (“Number One”). The Temple is visited by white-robed pilgrims throughout the year, and it is possible to purchase Nokyo-cho (stamp-books for collecting the stamps that confirm that a pilgrim has made a donation to a given temple) and pilgrims’ clothing, staffs and bamboo hats etc. Must-see sights at the Temple include a two-storied pagoda housing the Gochi Nyorai Statues (five statues representing different aspects of the wisdom of the Buddha) and the Meiji Garden located on the north side of the Daishi-do hall.

高層建築と云う程ではありませんが、霊山寺の境内では目立っていました。参拝者の大半が本堂と大師堂に向かう為、多宝塔前は閑散としていましたが、朱塗りでは無い建築が却って特徴的と云えそうでした。

Tokushima

Around Naruto Strait Around Tokushima City Wakimachi Iya / Oboke Koboke Around Hiwasa

Travel / Tourism History / Culture / Tour

Reference/Local/Exhibition/Literature Museum Shrine Castle / Ruins of Castle Historical Monument Temple Church Ruin / Grave / Ancient Tomb Memorial Hall Cultural Property Event Hall / Public Hall Art Museum Museum / Science Museum Other Historic Site/Building

Tokushima Areas

The southeastern corner of Shikoku is home to Tokushima prefecture, a region celebrated for its luscious nature and the nation’s favorite Awa Odori, an energetic dance to which an annual summer festival has been dedicated. Keeping the upbeat tempo, whirlpools excite the Naruto sea off Tokushima, while inland, dramatic cliffs line the Iya Valley, promising unrivaled views of vast and vibrant scenery.