Uzu no Michi & Eddy Onaruto Bridge Memorial Hall
Last updated: August 26, 2026
Walk out over the Naruto whirlpools: Uzu no Michi is a 450-metre promenade built inside the girders of the Onaruto Bridge, ending at an observation room 45 metres above the strait where glass floor panels put the churning water directly beneath your shoes. Up the hill in Naruto Park, the Eddy memorial hall explains the phenomenon and the bridge that spans it — with VR sightseeing, a submarine simulator and a rooftop view over the strait. Together they make the whirlpools legible from above and from within, minutes apart on the same headland as the Otsuka Museum of Art.
Itinerary
- Stop at: Uzu no Michi
- Stop at: Onaruto Bridge Memorial Hall Eddy
Frequently Asked Questions
The tide forcing itself through the narrow Naruto Strait between Shikoku and Awaji Island — one of the fastest tidal currents in Japan — where the height difference between the two seas twists the water into vortices that can span twenty metres on a strong day. They are among the largest whirlpools in the world.
Timing is everything: the vortices form around high and low tide, strongest at the spring tides near full and new moons, and can be faint at slack water. Check the tide table for the day before you go — the strait publishes viewing times — and aim for the hour around the peak.
A caged promenade threaded 450 metres through the bridge's undercarriage, with the sea flickering below through grated sections until you reach the observation room and its glass floor panels, 45 metres above the strait. It's exhilarating rather than frightening — and windy enough to hold onto your hat.
The memorial hall turns the science into play: a submarine simulator dives beneath the whirlpools, VR rides tour Tokushima's sights, and interactive exhibits explain how the bridge was flung across one of Japan's wildest straits. It's the indoor half of the visit, welcome in rough weather.