Uzu no Michi Whirlpool Walkway Tickets

Uzu no Michi is a 450 metre walkway built inside the girders of the Onaruto Bridge, ending in a viewing room suspended 45 metres above the Naruto Strait. Beneath the glass panels in the floor, the sea churns through one of the narrowest major tidal channels in the world, and at the right time of day the famous Naruto whirlpools spin directly below your feet.

Timing is everything

The whirlpools form when the tide forces vast volumes of water between the Pacific and the Seto Inland Sea, so they appear around the turn of each tide rather than all day. The size varies with the lunar cycle, with spring tides producing the biggest vortices. Check the tide tables published by the facility and aim to arrive within an hour or so of peak flow. Outside those windows you still get a dramatic view of the strait and the bridge itself.

Walkway or boat?

Sightseeing boats from the Naruto side get you close to the water and are thrilling in rough conditions, while Uzu no Michi gives you the overhead view and stays comfortable in any weather. Plenty of travellers do both, since the entrances are near each other in Naruto Park. The walkway is flat and pram friendly, with wind blowing through the open sides, so hold onto hats.

Getting there

From Tokushima Station, take the JR Naruto Line to Naruto Station, then a local bus bound for Naruto Koen (Naruto Park) to the last stop, followed by a short uphill walk. Coming from the Kansai side, highway buses from Osaka and Kobe cross the bridge and stop at Naruto Koguchi, from where taxis cover the final stretch.

Frequently asked questions

When are the whirlpools biggest? Around spring tides near the full and new moon, at the times shown in the daily tide tables.

Is the glass floor scary? Only pleasantly. The panels are small sections of an otherwise solid walkway.

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