Pont d'Onaruto
Onaruto Bridge is a 1,629 m suspension bridge with 144 m towers connecting Naruto City in Tokushima Prefecture to Minamiawaji City in Hyogo Prefecture (Awaji Island). Opened in 1985 as part of the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Project's Kobe-Naruto route, it spans the narrowest section of the Naruto Strait (about 1.3 km wide), beneath which whirlpools up to 20 m across — one of the world's three great tidal currents — form. On the Tokushima side, beneath the bridge, the 450 m «Uzu-no-Michi» promenade (one level down, 45 m above the sea) lets visitors look directly down through glass floors at whirlpools — a rare experience even by Japanese standards. The bridge's graceful curves combined with the strait and Awaji Island make for the Inland Sea's most dramatic scenery.
Highlights
- Onaruto Bridge itself — 1,629 m total length, 144 m towers; the elegant suspension curves are best framed from the Awaji side
- Uzu-no-Michi — the 450 m walkway beneath the bridge, 45 m above the sea, with glass floors offering direct views down to the whirlpools
- Naruto Park and Senjojiki Observatory — a viewing hub close to the bridge; cherry blossoms paired with the bridge make a stunning spring scene
- Michi-no-Eki Uzushio (Awaji side) — a sweeping overlook of the bridge, with sunset igniting bridge and strait in vivid contrast
- Naruto Skyline — a scenic drive route with multiple observatories overlooking the bridge; especially exquisite at blue hour
