Last Updated: July 28, 2023
When our eldest told us that we could drive on a boat into whirlpools in Japan, we were a little dubious.
He had been researching things to do in Japan (which was due to be our next country on our Round-The-World Trip) and was mainly looking into natural sites, due to this being his passion.
When I eventually took a look at what he had found I immediately had to apologise for my doubt!
Yes, you can actually be driven, on a boat, into whirlpools, in Japan!
After so much time travelling we’ve become somewhat picky and almost a little spoilt with the activities we choose to do and so get really excited when we find something that is very unique.
And the Naruto Whirlpools certainly ticked that box.
Our photo’s really don’t do it justice, as the whirlpools were a really amazing sight to behold. And is such a fun day out for people of all ages.
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What are the Naruto Whirlpools?
The Naruto Whirlpools are natural tidal whirlpools that occur down the Naruto Straight between Shikoku and Awaji islands. In this straight the Pacific Ocean and the Seto Inland Sea meet. The straight is quite narrow at only around 1.3km wide.
All these factors make for a ‘perfect storm’ and during low and high tide the current rushes between the two bodies of water creating the whirlpools.
It’s a great opportunity for a bit of a science lesson and learning all about whirlpools before, during and after you arrive.
Where to Stay to see the Naruto Whirlpools
You can stay in Naruto itself or a little further down to the city of Tokushima. And then get to and from the whirlpools via public bus.
But these areas are not always on most peoples itineraries although they have a lot to offer (The Awa Odori dance festival for one).
If your Japan itinerary is not inclusive of these areas, Osaka is another good base. Osaka is usually a more popular stop off in a Japan itinerary and has a lot to offer.
With it being home to Universal Studios, Osaka Castle and many more attractions. You can also squeeze a lot of the sites in by just walking around. As we did with our self-guided walking tour of Osaka.
Seeing the Naruto Whirlpools can quite easily be done as a day trip from Osaka. We did this and it didn’t feel rushed and the transport to and from Osaka is pretty easy.
Getting to the Naruto Whirlpools from Osaka (and back)
You can get a train to the Naruto train station if you have a JR pass, but you may need to make a few transfers.
If you’re not bound by the train, then the coach is a much easier option.
To get from Osaka to the whirlpools there is a coach that stops on the highway right outside the whirlpool attractions but only on the way there (more on this below).
You can easily book the coach online through Japan Bus Online with tickets costing around 4,500JPY (£30) return per person.
You will get the coach from Herbis Osaka Station, which is over the road from the main Osaka train station.
Give yourself a bit of time to find the Herbis Station if you’re unfamiliar with it, as it’s not hugely obvious.
You will alight the coach at the Naruto Koenguchi stop with the journey taking around 2 hours.
Most coaches have stop announcements sometimes with a screen, so keep an eye/ear out for this stop. But you should also know you are there once you are on the suspension bridge. Download the Google Map of the area as well to help you.
Coming back, the coaches do NOT stop by the Naruto Koenguchi stop that you alighted at. So you have to head to a different part of the highway at the ‘Kosoku (Expressway) Naruto‘ stop.
You will actually then end up going back on yourself up the highway passing the whirlpools again as you go. So it’s a little long-winded, but still pretty simple.
To get to the ‘Kosoku (Expressway) Naruto’ stop for your return journey, first find the bus stop for the local bus that heads to Naruto.
There’s a number of static maps around the area of the Whirlpools so you should be able to use one of these to find the bus stop.
Pay cash to get on and tell the driver where you’re heading.
After about ten minutes, get off at the Konarutobashi bus stop (again announcements should be present). Then walk just a couple of minutes back toward the expressway.
You’ll actually be underneath it at this point and need to make your way up.
There’s a novel lift on a sloped track which gets you back up to the highway.
As it’s free and we had some time to kill before our coach arrived, the kids found it highly amusing to go up and back down repeatedly much to the confusion of the other commuters!
Once you get to the top of the lift there is a tunnel to walk under the highway where you’ll pop out the other side and see the bus stop to wait for your coach.
Best Time for visiting the Naruto Whirlpools
This is a crucial element to your plan, as the whirlpools and how magnificent they are all depends on the tides.
If you go when the tide isn’t right, all you will see is some calm water!
Both the boat company sites (links below) show the tide times and when they are a their peak. So ensure you check this before you go.
It depends on both time of year and time of day as to when is best to see them.
Generally speaking summer is better than winter and twice a month you get what’s called ‘spring tides’ which is when they are at their peak.
But most important is the time of day. The whirlpools can usually be seen a couple of times a day, but this changes regularly.
Ensure you have checked the websites and then plan you’re route/day around the tide times so you don’t end up disappointed.
Seeing the Naruto Whirlpools
Now comes the fun part! There are a few ways to see the whirlpools; by boat, observation deck, one of the lookout spots or a combination!
Doing it by boat should definitely be on the list as this is the most exciting way and there are a few boat companies that do the tours.
There are two boat companies that operate tours on the Naruto side of the straight.
Uzushio Kisen operate small fast boats. They also offer a combo ticket to see the whirlpools from the suspension bridge as well.
You can purchase tickets on the day, just head down to the box office. They basically sell tickets for the next available time slot and fill it, then sell tickets for the next available time slot etc. You will see a sign outside change to show which tickets are currently on sale.
To get to the box office you can take a short ten minute walk from the coach stop.
Once you alight the coach at the Naruto Koenguchi stop you should immediately see a pathway leading to some steps that take you off the expressway. Follow these down and then you’ll wind down a few different roads and sets of stairs until you get to sea level. You should then see the box office.
The alternative boat company on this side is Uzushio Kankosen. This company offers two types of boats either a large boat with upper viewing deck or a small boat with underwater viewing screens (we didn’t do this so not sure what sort of additional spectacle that adds).
The larger boat can be booked on the day but the smaller needs to be pre-booked.
These boats leave from a different area so to get to this alterative ticket office and peer you start the same way as before, but this time keep walking past the first ticket office.
Stick with the coast on your right and you can’t go wrong. But it is about a further twenty minutes past the first choice, so 30 minute walk in total from the coach stop.
There is a third boat company that departs from the Awaji Island side of the straight. They tend to operate larger boats and longer tours. But the website is only in Japanese and due to it not being quite as accessible it may be a trickier choice.
Aside from the boats there is also the Onaruto Bridge. This is actually the bridge on the expressway that you will have driven over to get there.
But underneath there is the purpose built Uzu no Michi observation deck. A long walkway where you can see directly over the whirlpools with many glass floors and various viewing points throughout.
If you’ve got some tired toddler legs the good news is there are free buggies/strollers you can use as well.
Alternatively, you can see them from afar on one of the many lookout points dotted around Naruto Park. Such as the Senjojiki Observatory or Eska Hill.
We decided to get the combo ticket and the smaller boat from the Uzushio Kisen company and this worked really well for us so we would recommend.
Whilst it might not be the best view on the small boat compared to the larger ones on the upper deck, it was extremely fun with the small boat driving quite fast into the whirlpool spinning around and rocking about as you go. And as the peer was closer it also means less of a walk, which we were thankful for with our toddler on a very hot day!
Then once you have got over the excitement of the boat you can head up to the bridge with the combo ticket to have a much calmer birds eye view. Really taking the whirlpools in with no time limit to observe these magnificent phenomenon!