The Naruto Whirlpools – One of Japan’s Great Natural Wonders

Between Tokushima Prefecture and Awaji Island lies the Naruto Strait, home to one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in Japan: the Naruto Whirlpools.

The whirlpools are created by powerful tidal currents flowing through the narrow strait.
Because of the difference in water levels between the Seto Inland Sea and the Pacific Ocean, enormous volumes of seawater rush through the Naruto Strait.

Where the fast-moving current meets slower water near the coast, huge whirlpools begin to form.
Some can reach around 20 meters in diameter.
They appear, disappear, and form again within seconds, making the surface of the sea seem almost alive.
The experience becomes even more impressive during the spring and autumn tides, when the currents are particularly strong.
One of the best ways to experience the Naruto Whirlpools is from the sea itself.

Visitors can board the large sightseeing boat WONDER NARUTO, which takes passengers out into the Naruto Strait and approaches the whirlpools from remarkably close range.
The cruise lasts approximately 30 minutes.
From the deck, you can feel the sea moving beneath the boat and watch the swirling currents forming directly around you.

Looking up, the enormous Ōnaruto Bridge stretches across the strait between Tokushima and Awaji Island.
Looking down, the powerful currents of the sea twist and turn below.
It is a dramatic reminder of the extraordinary power of nature.
For visitors from overseas, the Naruto Whirlpools offer an experience very different from Japan’s temples, shrines, and historic cities.

This is Japan shaped by the sea.
Japan is an island nation, and the ocean has influenced its history, culture, food, and way of life for centuries.
Standing on the deck of WONDER NARUTO and watching the sea begin to swirl beneath you, that connection becomes very real.
The Naruto Whirlpools are not something created by human hands.
They are created by the moon, the tides, the geography of the strait, and the immense movement of the sea.

And that is precisely what makes them so fascinating.

BRONZE MUSEUM JAPAN

photo : Supervisor K