Rainy Day in Tokushima: Best Indoor Spots & Activities

Otsuka Museum of Art

Heedless of the sound of raindrops tapping the window, you stand in the Louvre Palace, look up at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and meet eyes with Van Gogh's Sunflowers—such a dreamlike experience can be had at the Otsuka Museum of Art, standing in Naruto City.

This "Ceramic-Board Masterpiece Museum," which precisely reproduces over 1,000 masterpieces held by more than 190 museums in 26 countries onto life-sized ceramic boards, is the only one of its kind in the world. The overwhelming experience of viewing the Mona Lisa and Guernica up close at the same scale as the originals is something to savor thoroughly precisely because it's a rainy day. It's a popular spot that forms lines on clear sightseeing days, but being able to view relatively calmly on a rainy day is the connoisseur's way to enjoy it.

The interior is a huge space of three basement floors and two above ground, and trying to see all the works can take more than 4 hours. Narrowing down your favorite painters and works before visiting makes for a more fulfilling time. The restaurants and cafes are also substantial, so enjoying lunch surrounded by masterpieces is recommended too.

Best season: Enjoyable year-round, but if avoiding crowds, right after opening on a weekday (from 9:30) is the target. During summer vacation and consecutive holidays, early entry is strongly recommended.

Access: About 15 minutes by route bus from JR Naruto Station, get off right at "Otsuka Kokusai Bijutsukan-mae." About 40 minutes by car from central Tokushima City. Parking is also fully equipped.

Tip for travelers: The admission fee is somewhat high at 3,300 yen for general admission, but considering this scale and quality, the price is understandable. Because the interior is vast, easy-to-walk sneakers are essential. Leave your luggage in a locker and tour light.

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Tokushima Prefectural Museum

The one that answers the simple question "What kind of place is Tokushima?" carefully and deeply is the Tokushima Prefectural Museum. From the wonders of nature nurtured by Tokushima's land to the history, folklore, and art of Awa, this single museum lets you see all of Tokushima—truly a place worthy of being a "Tokushima introduction."

Not to be missed among these is the substantial collection of materials on Awa Ningyo Joruri (puppet theater). You can experience Awa's traditional performing art, famous nationwide, through actual puppets and video materials. The richness of expression on the dynamically manipulated puppets' faces will surely take your breath away. The passion of the exhibit, trying to convey it not as a mere "old thing" but as a culture still living today, comes across.

The nature-related exhibits are also well worth seeing. The specimens of flora and fauna living in Tokushima's mountainous areas, including Mt. Tsurugi, and the exhibits of the ecosystem nurtured by the clear stream of the Yoshino River, can be fully enjoyed whether with children or just adults. It's a spot long loved by locals too as a place of learning on a rainy day.

Best season: Open year-round. Because the exhibit content is even more substantial during special exhibition periods, check the official website before visiting.

Access: About 10 minutes by bus from JR Tokushima Station, get off at "Tokushima Chuo Koen-mae" and walk about 5 minutes. It's located within Bunka no Mori General Park, in the same area as the Museum of Modern Art, so visiting them as a set is recommended.

Tip for travelers: The viewing fee for the permanent exhibit is reasonable at 200 yen for general admission. There's also a combined ticket with the nearby Tokushima Modern Art Museum, so by all means make use of it. Because the interior is quiet and calm, it's perfect for those who want to spend time leisurely.

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Tokushima Modern Art Museum

Do you know the name of the genius painter born in Tokushima who died young—Kyokichi Tanaka? While losing his life young in the Taisho era, he left many delicate and fantastical print works, and being able to feel his world up close is one of the great appeals of the Tokushima Modern Art Museum.

This museum, which collects modern and contemporary art from Japan and abroad in good balance, with works by artists connected to Tokushima at its core, is a place where the more discerning the traveler's eye, the deeper they fall for it. The lineup of special exhibitions is high in quality, with ambitious themes lined up that don't fall short of even Tokyo's large museums. The preconception "because it's a regional museum..." will surely vanish the moment you step inside.

The calm interior is a serene space, enough to make you forget the sound of rain. In a relaxed environment unrelated to crowds, the time quietly facing each and every work brings a special richness even within the journey.

Best season: More fulfilling if you visit in line with the period of a special exhibition. Several times a year, special exhibitions with changing themes are held.

Access: Located within the same Bunka no Mori General Park as the Tokushima Prefectural Museum. About 10 minutes by bus from JR Tokushima Station. The location, where you can tour 2 museums together, is very efficient as a rainy-day route.

Tip for travelers: A combined ticket for the permanent and special exhibitions is a good deal. A combined viewing ticket for the Modern Art Museum and the Prefectural Museum is also sold, so by all means check at the counter.

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Awagin Hall (Tokushima Prefectural Cultural Hall)

The frenzy of Awa Odori, the music, the stories—the place where you can fully absorb the traditional culture that can be called the soul of Tokushima is Awagin Hall (Tokushima Prefectural Cultural Hall). Beyond its function as a concert hall, the exhibits on Tokushima's traditional culture, including Awa Odori, are substantial, and it's loved by locals too as a place for a "culture bath" to visit on a rainy day.

The exhibits of actual Awa Odori costumes and instruments, and the video materials of the dance, turn the feeling "someday I want to see real Awa Odori" into a sure thing. For those visiting Tokushima for the first time, there's no place more fitting to sense "with what feelings the people of this land keep protecting this culture."

Also, various performances and events are regularly held in the hall, and if you're lucky, you may encounter a full-fledged Awa Odori or traditional-performing-art demonstration. When planning your trip, checking the event information on the official website may have an unexpected moving experience waiting.

Best season: Year-round. The exhibits are especially lively around the "Awa Odori" season every August.

Access: About a 10-minute walk from JR Tokushima Station. A convenient location accessible on foot from the station. You can head there with peace of mind even in the rain.

Tip for travelers: The exhibit area is free admission (performances require separate tickets). The delightful point is being able to drop by casually. Combining it with a stroll around Tokushima Station, visiting for a moment in the morning is recommended.

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Naruto German House

"Why was Beethoven's Ninth premiered in Tokushima?"—if this single sentence has lit a fire in your curiosity, head without hesitation to the Naruto German House.

During World War I, many German prisoners of war were held in Bando, Naruto City. However, under the humane policy of the then director Toyohisa Matsue, the prisoners were able to lead an unbelievably free and cultural life of music, sports, and craftsmanship. And here in 1918, the Asian premiere of Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony" was performed. This museum carefully, and movingly, introduces this little-known miraculous history.

The bonds between people transcending borders, sprouted in the dark era of war—that story will surely be deeply engraved in the hearts of music lovers, of course, but also of those interested in history and all who want to touch human warmth. The music of the Ninth also plays in the museum, and the experience of being enveloped in that grand melody while viewing the exhibits is exceptional.

Best season: Enjoyable year-round, but because the "Ninth Concert" is held in Naruto City every June, a visit timed to that period is also recommended.

Access: About 20 minutes by bus from JR Naruto Station, get off right at "Doitsukan-mae." It's about 10 minutes by car from the Otsuka Museum of Art, so a plan to tour the Naruto area over a full day is efficient.

Tip for travelers: The viewing fee is reasonable at 400 yen for general admission. The interior is quiet and calm, a place that warms the heart gently even on a rainy day. Nearby, the site of the "Bando Prisoner-of-War Camp" also remains, so those who love history should by all means visit it together.

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Access Information

Tokushima's rainy-day spots are broadly divided into two: the "Naruto area" and the "Tokushima City area."

Naruto area (Otsuka Museum of Art and Naruto German House) With JR Naruto Station as the starting point, buses operate to each facility. To the Otsuka Museum of Art is about 15 minutes from the station, and to the Naruto German House about 20 minutes. If touring the 2 facilities in one day, the route of the Otsuka Museum of Art in the morning and the German House in the afternoon is recommended. About 40 minutes by car from central Tokushima City; highway buses can also be used.

Tokushima City area (Tokushima Prefectural Museum, Modern Art Museum, and Awagin Hall) Centered on JR Tokushima Station, the museum and the Modern Art Museum are gathered within "Bunka no Mori General Park," about 10 minutes by bus. Awagin Hall has good access at about a 10-minute walk from the station. Because the city facilities are compactly grouped, you can tour multiple facilities in half a day to a full day.

Tip for travelers: The Naruto area and the Tokushima City area are about 40 minutes apart by car. For rainy-day travel, there are scenes where a rental car is more convenient than public transport. There are several rental car companies around Tokushima Station, and same-day arrangements are relatively smooth. Also, because many of the facilities are closed on Mondays (the next day if it's a holiday), be sure to check the operating days on the official website before visiting.