Tokushima

Two days between Bizan, the castle garden and the Naruto Strait

Tokushima has a city day and a Naruto day: day one in the city, with the castle garden at dawn, the Awa Odori Kaikan's daily dance performances, the ropeway up Mount Bizan and a bunraku puppet show at Awa Jurobe Yashiki; day two at Naruto for the whirlpools of the Naruto Strait.

Day two, out to Naruto. Head north to Naruto for the whirlpools beneath the Ōnaruto Bridge, timed to the tide, and the Otsuka Museum of Art with its full-size ceramic copies of Western masterpieces. On the way back, stop at Ryōzenji, the first temple of the Shikoku pilgrimage, or at the House of Indigo in Aizumi to dye cloth yourself.

With a third day, take the JR Tokushima Line west towards Ikeda for the Iya Valley, or ride the highway bus back to Osaka.

Tokushima ramen, sudachi and summer sugata sushi

The city's best-known bowl is Tokushima ramen, a rich pork-bone and soy broth with sweet-simmered pork and plenty of vegetables, often finished with a raw egg. Inotani, a long-running shop that represented the city at the Ramen Museum in Yokohama, is the classic lunchtime queue.

The prefecture's signature flavour is sudachi, a small green citrus squeezed over grilled fish, noodles and sashimi, and used to flavour local shochu and sake. In summer, look for sugata sushi, a whole small fish stuffed with vinegared rice. Naruto kintoki sweet potatoes from the sandy fields near Naruto are roasted or turned into sweets, and Tokushima strawberries are prized in winter and spring.

For an easy start, the 5th floor of Clement Plaza above the station has a cluster of restaurants, and the department stores nearby have food halls in the basement. In the evening, the bars and izakaya around the ACTY 21 building in Akita-machi are where locals drink sudachi highballs.

Awa Odori nights and cherry blossom on Mount Bizan

Tokushima's calendar turns on one week. The Awa Odori runs from 12 to 15 August, with a history of more than 400 years. Groups of dancers called ren move through the central streets each evening, and paid seating stands as well as free streets let you watch; on the final nights spectators are encouraged to join in. Expect highs near 32C and close, humid nights.

Spring is the other high point. Around 1,500 cherry trees bloom on Mount Bizan in early April, when highs are around 20C, and the ropeway runs later during festival periods. Pilgrims walking the 88 temples are also most numerous in spring and autumn.

June and September are the wettest months; September averages about 271 mm with typhoon risk. October and November bring settled, cooler weather (23C falling to 18C), good for hiking in the Iya Valley or along the Anan coast near Hiwasa. Winter is mild for Japan, with January highs around 10C, and is the quietest time to visit.