Tokushima

Tokushima is a small city on the east coast of Shikoku, Japan's smallest main island. It is best known for the Awa Odori, one of Japan's largest dance festivals, held each August and drawing over a million visitors. Outside festival season, the Awa Odori Kaikan hall has daily performances and a museum dedicated to the dance. The Shinmachi district along the river has a boardwalk with cafés and a few shops. The Naruto Whirlpools, caused by tidal currents in the strait between Shikoku and Awaji Island, are about 30 minutes by car from the city and can be viewed from a glass-floored walkway or by sightseeing boat. Tokushima ramen has a distinctive pork-bone broth with raw egg and soy-based seasoning, and the city has a number of dedicated ramen shops. Ōtsuka Museum of Art, nearby, has full-scale ceramic reproductions of famous Western paintings. Taxis or shuttle buses connect the port area to downtown.