Tokushima Prefectural Uzu-no-Michi Walkway

Uzu-no-Michi turns Ōnaruto Bridge into a lookout suspended above the strait. The walkway runs about 450 metres beneath the roadway, roughly 45 metres above the sea; glass floor panels let visitors look down at the currents. It is not an open-air platform: the enclosed corridor offers shelter from the wind and leads to several viewing points over the water.

Here the whirlpools are read from a fixed, overhead perspective. They form as tides move between the Seto Inland Sea and the Kii Channel; the currents are usually strongest around spring tides, near the new and full moons. The prefecture publishes viewing windows and notes that the phenomenon depends on the tide. Arriving without checking the schedule may mean seeing a less dramatic flow.

Visitors often praise the views through the floor windows and the chance to watch the sea without boarding a boat; others say the glass can unsettle people afraid of heights and that whirlpool size varies considerably. General admission is ¥510 for adults, ¥410 for junior and senior high school students, and ¥260 for elementary pupils. Regular hours are 9 am–6 pm from March to September and 9 am–5 pm from October to February, with longer holiday hours and several monthly closure days.

The walkway is in Naruto Park beneath the bridge and can be reached on foot from the Naruto Koen bus stop; buses from Naruto and Tokushima run infrequently, so check the return schedule. For a first visit, Uzu-no-Michi suits travellers who want a steady, accessible viewpoint; a boat brings visitors closer to the current. Checking the tide calendar before leaving lets you choose a viewing time rather than rely on chance.