Access and Orientation

From/To:

Hourly highway buses operate between Osaka Station and Tokushima Station, stopping along the way at Naruto Park (only in the direction of Tokushima) and the Kosoku Naruto bus stop (2 hours, 3800 yen one way). The Kosoku Naruto bus stop is a five minute walk from the Konarutobashi bus stop, from where local buses provide connections to Naruto Station (3 minutes, 170 yen, 2-3 buses/hour) and Naruto Park (20 minutes, 350 yen, one bus/hour). Online reservations for the highway buses can be made through Willer.

The buses are not covered by the Japan Rail Pass, but pass holders can save a few hundred yen by taking JR trains to Maiko Station (45 minutes from Osaka) and boarding a highway bus there (one hour, 3100 yen to Naruto Park or Kosoku Naruto) instead of Osaka Station.

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Covered by: Japan Rail Pass

It is possible to travel to Naruto entirely by train although the trip takes about 4.5 hours and is of interest mainly to Japan Rail Pass holders.

From Shin-Osaka Station take the JR Sanyo Shinkansen to Okayama (50 minutes) and transfer to the JR Marine Liner to Takamatsu (1 hour). From Takamatsu take the JR "Uzushio" limited express to Ikenotani (1 hour) and change to a local train to Naruto (20 minutes). From Naruto Station regular city buses serve Naruto Park (20 minutes, 390 yen).

Above fees and schedules are subject to change. Be sure to check current yen exchange rates.

Naruto is a spread out city with all of its main attractions located outside of the city center. Naruto Park and the whirlpools are about six kilometers north of central Naruto, while the German-related sights and Ryozenji Temple are about ten kilometers west of the city center.

Visitors arriving by train will get off at JR Naruto Station, the terminal station in the city center, from where it is a 20 minute bus ride north to Naruto Park and the whirlpools.

For those arriving by highway bus, note that the highway buses do not serve central Naruto, but instead only stop along the expressway. The main stop along the expressway is Naruto Kosoku bus stop, from where travelers can catch a local bus from the nearby Konarutobashi bus stop to reach the city center (Naruto Station) or Naruto Park.

A second stop along the expressway, Naruto Koen-guchi bus stop, is located at Naruto Park, however it is served only by highway buses coming from Osaka or Kyoto, but not in the opposite direction. In the opposite direction, travelers have to board the highway buses at the above-mentioned Naruto Kosoku bus stop.

Tokushima Airport is a 15 minute bus ride south of Naruto Station (340 yen one way). Most of the airport buses continue on from Naruto Station to Naruto Park (580 yen one way).

Although all of Naruto's attractions can be reached by public transportation, connections are not very frequent and a rental car is a convenient alternative. Rental car outlets can be found in Tokushima City and at Tokushima Airport.