Tokushima Prefecture Specialties, Souvenirs, Shrines, Temples, and Travel | 47 Prefecture Guide

Tokushima is the prefecture where the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage begins. The entrance to the route has become the character of this land itself.

Specialties

Sudachi is said to be produced almost entirely in Tokushima Prefecture in terms of domestic production.

It is rare for a product to be so concentrated in a single prefecture. Sudachi has taken root locally as a tart flavor used at the table in place of vinegar. It is squeezed over fish, into soups, and into shochu. Its strength as a production area is supported by the fact that the habit of using it came first.

Naruto Kintoki sweet potatoes, Naruto wakame seaweed, Awaodori chicken, Handa somen, and yuzu. Naruto Kintoki is said to be sweet because it is grown in mineral-rich sandy soil near the sea.

Souvenirs

Sudachi ponzu, Naruto Kintoki kintsuba. And indigo-dyed cloth accessories.

The yukata worn by Awa Odori dancers were also originally dyed with indigo from this area. Festival and industry are connected by the same material.

Shrines and Temples

Ryozenji Temple (Naruto City) is the first temple of the Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage in total.

The 88 temples form a pilgrimage route of about 1,400 kilometers in total, visiting temples associated with Kukai, also known as Kobo Daishi. They are arranged in a loop around the four prefectures of Shikoku: Tokushima (the path of awakening) → Kochi (the path of ascetic practice) → Ehime (the path of enlightenment) → Kagawa (the path of nirvana). In other words, Shikoku was divided not by national borders, but by the stages of practice. In this series, the 4 prefectures of Shikoku are treated separately, but for pilgrims they are one path.

Oasahiko Shrine (Naruto City) is the ichinomiya, or highest-ranking shrine, of Awa Province. It enshrines deities of hemp and grain, and a large vermilion torii gate stands within the grounds. Hemp production and the development of indigo overlapped with the sphere of this shrine’s faith.

The Tairyuji Ropeway, Shosanji Temple (Kamiyama Town, one of the higher-elevation temples among the 88 sacred sites), and the three-story pagoda of Kakurinji Temple.

Sightseeing

The Naruto whirlpools is, are created when the difference in tide levels between the Seto Inland Sea and the Pacific Ocean moves all at once through a narrow strait. They are considered among the largest in the world.

Awa Odori is in August. The vine bridge of Iya and Oboke Gorge.

Traditional Crafts

Nationally designated items are Awa Shoai Shijira-ori, Awa washi paper, and Otani ware, making 3 items.

Otani ware is known for making jars so large a person can fit inside. A method called “lying-down potter’s wheel,” in which the potter lies down and kicks the wheel with their feet, is used. These jars have been used as containers for tateru, or fermenting, Awa indigo. The two crafts are not separate; they are one industry.

For details, see [VILLAGE Report vol.13] A Jar for Fermenting Indigo

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References: Tokushima Prefecture, Tokushima City, Naruto City, Kamiita Town, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Agency for Cultural Affairs, Association for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries — Value Village Editorial Team