Hot Springs by Train: Tokushima — Feel the Power of the Naruto Strait at Naruto Onsen, and Experience Mineral-Rich Waters, Indigo Dyeing, and the Flavors of Naruto!

Getting to Naruto Onsen, Tokushima

How to Enjoy Naruto Onsen, Tokushima

Stay  |  Aoawo Naruto Resort

This oceanfront resort hotel lies within Setonaikai National Park in Naruto, Tokushima.

Its pride is a natural hot spring containing sea minerals and sodium bicarbonate, which you can enjoy in an open-air bath where you relax in the sea breeze, or in an observatory bath on the 8th floor that looks out across the water. The view from the tub changes with the time of day, from the morning sun rising over Awaji Island to the “moon road” that moonlight traces across the water at night.

The guest rooms are wonderfully varied, too. Most have ocean views of the Naruto sea and Awaji Island, and there are Western-style rooms, Japanese-style rooms, suites, and themed rooms that draw on Tokushima’s traditional culture. Being able to experience Tokushima’s culture and art without leaving your room is part of what makes this place so unique.

Meals come in a range of styles, including a local-cuisine buffet, Japanese kaiseki courses, charcoal grilling, and French cuisine, all making generous use of Tokushima’s bounty from land and sea, such as Naruto sea bream, Naruto wakame seaweed, Naruto Kintoki sweet potatoes, and Awa Odori chicken. Every seasonal flavor that Tokushima and Naruto are known for is gathered here.

There are also hands-on experiences unique to Naruto, offered season by season, from traditional crafts such as painting Otani ware pottery to fishing for Naruto sea bream. In autumn, you can even dig up Naruto Kintoki sweet potatoes.

Hot springs, food, culture, and nature, all in one go: this is a resort stay that lets you have it all.

Aoawo Naruto Resort

Address: 16-45 Oge, Tosadomariura, Naruto-cho, Naruto City, Tokushima
Inquiries: 088-687-2580
Access: 12 min. by bus from JR Naruto Station
Price: From ¥22,650 per person (1 night, 2 meals)
URL: https://www.aoawo-naruto.com/

Experience  |  Sho-Aizome Studio N2

Why not try your hand at indigo dyeing at this shop of original indigo-dyed goods, run by an owner with a long career in fashion design?

Sho-Aizome Studio N2 began offering indigo dyeing workshops to share the beauty and appeal of natural indigo. You create your own piece using a dye bath made with only natural materials: Awa-ai, the indigo dye of Tokushima, along with lye and shell ash.

The workshop begins with an introduction to the history of Awa-ai, how its color develops, and how to create patterns. You then move step by step through making the pattern, dyeing, and finishing.

You can choose from a variety of items to dye, including handkerchiefs, tenugui hand towels, cotton bags, and stoles. The best bit is you can take your finished piece home the same day.

Sho-Aizome Studio N2

Address: 80 Hinatadani, Kokuwajima, Muya-cho, Naruto City, Tokushima
Inquiries: 090-7787-7610
Hours: 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. (workshops on Sat, Sun, Mon, and national holidays only)
Closed: Tue–Fri
Access: 5 min. on foot from JR Naruto Station
Price: Handkerchief ¥3,500 / Tenugui ¥4,000 / Cotton bag ¥5,000 / Stole ¥7,000 / T-shirt ¥9,000  *Private sessions; reservations required by the day before, minimum 2 people. Ages 12 and up (junior high school students and older).
URL: https://www.entwo.com/

Shop  |  Michi-no-Eki Kurukuru Naruto

Billed as an “interactive food theme park,” this one-of-a-kind michi-no-eki roadside station is packed with everything that makes Naruto special.

Out front, a sculpture of a sliced sweet potato welcomes you. Deciding how to pose for your photo is half the fun of this playful photo spot.

You’ll find a full lineup of shops under the theme of “local specialties,” from a farmers’ market and local gourmet food to sweets such as Naruto Kintoki Mont Blanc and daigaku imo (candied sweet potatoes).

Share a seafood bowl piled with 2kg of ocean delights at Ouzu Shokudo, or pick up an abundance of Naruto-grown produce and local specialties at the market. It’s also the perfect place to hunt for souvenirs.

On the roof, there is a zipline you can ride, and the rooftop deck offers views over Naruto City and the sea.

Michi-no-Eki Kurukuru Naruto

Address: 338-1 Kanidanokoshi, Bizenjima, Otsu-cho, Naruto City, Tokushima
Inquiries: 088-685-9696
Hours: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Closed: Open daily
Access: 18 min. on foot from JR Kyokaimae Station
URL: https://www.kurukurunaruto.com/

Eat  |  French Monstar Setouchi Foodart

This café with spectacular views sits at the very top of the Naruto Skyline, next to the Yomomi Observatory. The name “French Monstar” has nothing to do with monsters; it’s a coined word meaning MON STAR, or “my star,” and it expresses the wish to make “my stars,” the farmers and makers behind the food, shine.

Relax at the café and take in the view, and you’ll spot the heart-shaped island and the small rafts floating on the Uchinoumi inlet, a scene that somehow feels nostalgic.

Created out of a wish to share the wonders of the owner’s hometown of Tokushima with as many people as possible, the confection Tsuki e Naruto e (To the Moon, To Naruto) transforms Naruto Kintoki sweet potatoes, a Tokushima specialty, into an authentic French pastry.

Traditional French sablés sandwich a generous layer of Naruto Kintoki cream, making them an ideal souvenir.

French Monstar Setouchi Foodart

Address: 9 Higashiyama, Nakajimada, Seto-cho, Naruto City, Tokushima　
Inquiries: 088-661-5566
Hours: 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. (from 11:00 a.m. on Sat, Sun, and national holidays)
Closed: Mon, Tue (open on national holidays, with a substitute day off)
Access: 20 min. by car from JR Naruto Station
URL: http://www.frenchmonstar.com/setouchi_foodart/

A Journey into Nature as Dynamic as the Naruto Whirlpools

Savor a stay at a resort hotel where you can enjoy both hot springs and activities to the fullest. Experiences found only in Naruto await, from a café with breathtaking views to a roadside station with fun and quirky photo spots. As you lose yourself in creating a one-of-a-kind piece through authentic indigo dyeing, surrounded by nature’s grandeur, you may just feel your senses grow sharper.

About the Author
Maki Maeda

Photos courtesy of: Aoawo Naruto Resort, Michi-no-Eki Kurukuru Naruto, Sho-Aizome Studio N2, and French Monstar Setouchi Food Art