From the ropeway platform on Mount Bizan you look down over the Yoshino River delta and the whole grid of Tokushima spread out below, with the green ridge of the Sanuki Mountains on the northern horizon. It is the quickest way to understand how the city sits between river, plain and mountain.
Tokushima suits travellers who want a compact city with a strong local culture, an easy base for the 88 Temple Pilgrimage, and a craft tradition you can try with your own hands. The Awa Odori festival in August is the loudest reason people come, but the city works year-round.
This guide covers the sights within the city and the nearby places the sources name, plus how to string them together if you have only one day.
Top things to do in Tokushima
1. Awa Odori Kaikan
This museum is devoted to the Awa Odori Festival, with video and panoramas of the dancing and a dancing Odobotto robot demonstrating the steps. Several performances of the Awa Odori dances are held daily for a small fee.
It is also where you catch the ropeway up Mount Bizan, so pair the two. The museum is open 09:00-17:00.
2. Mount Bizan
The mountain above the city holds 1,500 cherry blossom trees and is an impressive sight at blossom time. At the Awa Odori Kaikan there is a ropeway to the top, and the walk back down takes about 15 minutes.
The ropeway runs 09:00-17:30, with later hours during festival periods. Go up for the view over the city, then walk down if you have the time.
3. Tokushima Castle
A brisk uphill walk from Chuo Park, behind the station, brings you to the castle ruins and a view over the city. The castle museum sits in a traditional Japanese garden, and admission covers both.
Come early in the morning for a misty, meditative and crowd-free experience. The garden and museum are open Tuesday to Sunday, with the museum running 09:30-17:00.
4. Tokushima Chuo Park
Directly behind Tokushima Station, the park has gardens and ponds and makes a pleasant walk while you wait for a bus. At night people come out to exercise, and you can listen to the frogs and birds.
You can climb to the top of the hill to the castle ruins to overlook the city, which links naturally with a visit to Tokushima Castle.
5. Awa Jurobe Yashiki
Once the home of the samurai Jurobe, this is now a bunraku puppet theatre museum. Performances are held at 11:00 on weekdays, with an additional show at 14:00 at weekends.
Take a bus from JR Tokushima Station to the Jurobe Yashiki-mae stop. It is open 09:30-17:00.
6. House of Indigo (Ai-no-Yakata)
Located in an old house formerly owned by an indigo merchant, this is where you can dye your own piece of fabric with real indigo and learn to create one of the traditional patterns. Tokushima is the only place Japanese indigo is produced.
Take a bus from JR Tokushima Station to the Higashi Nakatomi bus stop. It is open Wednesday to Monday, 09:00-17:00.
7. Tokushima Modern Art Museum
One of the most acclaimed modern art museums in western Japan, with work by contemporary Western and Japanese artists. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:30-17:00.
Take a bus to Bunka-no-Mori Park from JR Tokushima Station, or walk west from JR Bunkanomori Station. The Prefectural Museum is in the same park, so visit both together.
8. Tokushima Prefectural Museum
A natural and geological museum covering prehistoric Shikoku to the present day, with some hands-on exhibitions. It sits in Bunka-no-Mori Park alongside the Modern Art Museum.
It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:30-17:00. Combine it with the art museum on the same trip out.
9. The 88 Temple Pilgrimage temples in the city
The pilgrimage passes through Tokushima, with temples 14 through 17 — Jōrakuji, Kokubunji, Kan'onji and Idoji — all within the city limits. Ryōzenji, the starting point of the pilgrimage, is just north of Tokushima in the city of Naruto.
If you are walking any part of the route, these four are the ones you can reach without leaving the city.
10. The Awa Odori festival
Held annually from August 12 to 15, this is Tokushima's largest event, with a history of over 400 years. People dance in the streets according to complex choreography, and as the local proverb puts it, the dancing fool and the watching fool are both fools, so why not dance.
Plan accommodation well ahead if you intend to be in the city for these dates.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start early at Tokushima Castle, where the garden and museum are quietest first thing, then walk down through Tokushima Chuo Park behind the station.
Afternoon: Head to the Awa Odori Kaikan for the museum and a dance performance, then take the ropeway up Mount Bizan for the view and walk back down.
Evening: Return to Tokushima Chuo Park, where people are out exercising and the frogs and birds are audible after dark.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Awa Odori festival held?
It is held annually from August 12 to 15, and it is by far Tokushima's largest event.
How do I get to the top of Mount Bizan?
There is a ropeway to the top from the Awa Odori Kaikan. The walk down takes about 15 minutes.
Can I try indigo dyeing myself?
Yes. At the House of Indigo you can dye your own piece of fabric with real indigo and learn how to create one of the traditional patterns.
Where can I see bunraku puppet performances?
At Awa Jurobe Yashiki, the former home of the samurai Jurobe. Performances are held at 11:00 on weekdays, with an extra show at 14:00 at weekends.
Decide whether you are coming for the August festival or for a quieter visit, then build your days around the ropeway, the castle garden and the temples on the pilgrimage route.