Tokushima City Bizan and Awa Odori Course

Walk the heart of Tokushima City, the home of Awa Odori. The heat of the dance, the summit view, and riverside charm come together on this town walk you can enjoy on foot. The sights cluster within walking distance of the station, making it ideal for those arriving by public transport.

Course Route

10:00 Start at the Awa Odori Hall Watch a live Awa Odori performance you can enjoy year round and let your heart move to the rhythm of the drums. On a full stage by a resident troupe, there is also a time when visitors can join in.

11:00 Ride the Bizan Ropeway to the summit Take the ropeway that departs from the hall rooftop up to the summit of Mount Bizan at 290 meters. Enjoying the city view through the windows, you reach the top in a few minutes.

11:30 The view from Bizan lookout Enjoy a broad panorama of the city and the Kii Channel, reaching as far as Awaji Island and Wakayama on clear days. At night it is loved as a spot for the city lights.

13:00 Lunch with Tokushima ramen Taste the local bowl topped with a raw egg in its rich pork and soy broth. The dark style topped with sweet and savory simmered pork belly is the Tokushima standard.

14:30 To Tokushima Central Park and castle ruins Stroll the park where the castle stone walls remain and admire the beauty of the old castle garden. The dry landscape and pond garden using blue stone is a fine work that carries on the Momoyama style.

16:00 Walk the Shinmachi River waterfront Amble along the riverside path and close the day with the charm of Tokushima, a city of water. A Hyotanjima cruise to view the townscape from the river is also recommended.

Highlights

Awa Odori is a summer tradition over four hundred years old, and at the hall you can experience the real dance in any season. Known for its chant of fools who dance and fools who watch, the whole city turns to dance during the Obon period in August. The view of the city and its lights from Bizan is popular too.

Access and Tips

The sights cluster within walking distance of Tokushima Station, so you can tour on foot. Check the ropeway timetable in advance. The hall performances run a few times a day on a schedule, so checking the times before you visit helps you tour efficiently.

A Quick Tip

If you visit in summer, aiming for the actual Awa Odori festival is one idea. The city has few slopes and is easy to walk. There are also waterside cafes around the Shinmachi River where you can rest with the river breeze.

Practical Travel Notes

• Awa Odori Hall: the Awa Odori Museum on the third floor is open 9:00 to 17:00, and the Bizan Ropeway base station on the fifth floor runs 9:00 to 17:30 (extended to 21:00 from April to October). There are daytime and evening Awa Odori performances that differ by time of day. Please check the official site for the latest performance times and museum and ropeway fees.
• The Bizan Ropeway runs from the rooftop station of the Awa Odori Hall to the summit of Mount Bizan at about 290 meters in a few minutes. Rest days and hours vary by season.
• The old Tokushima Castle garden lies within Tokushima Central Park, and viewing may carry a fee. A combined ticket with the Tokushima Castle Museum is sometimes available.
• The sights are gathered within walking distance of JR Tokushima Station, suited to a town walk. The main Awa Odori festival runs during the Obon period in mid August each year, when the city gets very crowded.
• Fees and hours can change, so please check each facility official information before you go.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Assumptions for this course: About 6-7 hours in total / the sights are concentrated within walking distance of JR Tokushima Station, so the whole route can be done on public transport and on foot
• Opening hours / closed days of each facility: The "Awa Odori Museum" on the 3rd floor of the Awa Odori Kaikan is open 9:00-17:00 (last entry 16:45). The hall is closed on the second Wednesday of February, June, September and December (the following day when that is a public holiday) and from December 28 to January 1 (except the Awagin Bizan Ropeway). The Tokushima City Tokushima Castle Museum is open 9:30-17:00 (last entry 16:30) and closed on Mondays (open when Monday is a public holiday), on the day after a public holiday, and over the New Year period (December 28 to January 2)
• Performance times: The daytime show "Odorana Sonson Awa Odori" is held four times a day, every day at 11:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00 (about 40 minutes each, performed by the hall's resident troupe "Awa no Kaze"). The evening show "Mainichi Odoru Awa Odori" is held once a day at 20:00 (50 minutes, with famous troupes performing on rotation). Both include a hands-on section, and the auditorium seats 250
• Price guide: Daytime show 1,300 yen for adults and 700 yen for elementary and junior high school students / evening show 1,600 yen for adults and 800 yen for elementary and junior high school students. Awa Odori Museum 500 yen for general visitors and 300 yen for elementary and junior high school students. Awagin Bizan Ropeway: general (junior high school age and above) 900 yen one way and 1,500 yen return; elementary school children 500 yen one way and 800 yen return. Tokushima Castle Museum 300 yen for general visitors, 200 yen for high school and university students, and free for junior high school students and younger (admission also covers the garden of the former Tokushima Castle Omote-goten palace)
• Bizan Ropeway: It runs from the base station on the 5th floor of the Awa Odori Kaikan and takes about 6 minutes to the summit. Operating hours are 9:00-21:00 from April 1 to October 31 and 9:00-17:30 from November 1 to March 31, and 6:00-17:30 on New Year's Day. There are closure days and changes to hours within these periods, so you can check the operating status on 088-652-3617
• Access: The Tokushima Castle Museum is about a 10-minute walk from JR Tokushima Station, or about a 5-minute walk from the "Tokushima Koen Washi-no-mon-mae" stop on the Tokushima municipal bus
• Points to note and safety: In mid-August, when the real Awa Odori takes place, the hall operates differently. In a typical year both daytime and evening performances are cancelled on August 11; from August 12 to 15 there are special daytime performances (11:00, 13:00 and 15:00) and the evening show is cancelled. Bookings for use of the facilities are also not accepted from August 11 to 15, so if you visit at this time be sure to check the schedule on the official website

* If you visit on a Monday, the Tokushima Castle Museum and the garden of the former Tokushima Castle Omote-goten palace are closed. You can still stroll around Tokushima Central Park (the castle ruins and stone walls).

(Sources: Awa Odori Kaikan official website, Tokushima City official website (Tokushima Castle Museum visitor information). As of July 2026)