The Backpack Adventures

Located in the picturesque Naruto Strait, nestled between Naruto City in Tokushima Prefecture and Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture, the captivating phenomenon known as the Naruto Whirlpools ( 鳴門の渦潮 ) has become a prominent attraction, drawing visitors from far and wide. These mesmerizing tidal whirlpools have transformed the region into a thriving tourist destination, captivating the hearts and minds of all who witness their awe-inspiring power. Naruto Whirlpools  ( 鳴門の渦潮 ) Naruto Whirlpools Details Naruto Whirlpools occur when the tide moves large amounts of water in and out of the narrow strait. According to experts, the water rushes through Naruto Strait at a speed of about 13 to 15 kilometers per hour. They also say that the water flows in and out of the strait twice a day due to changing tides. During spring tide, the water current sometimes reaches up to 20 kilometers per hour. With this speed, the whirlpools sometimes get as big as 66 feet in diameter. Speaking of the speed o

Located in the Seto Inland Sea and under the jurisdiction of Hyogo Prefecture, Awajishima  ( 淡路島 ) or Awaji Island is the largest of the islands found in between Honshu and Shikoku island groups. Awajishima  ( 淡路島 ) or  Awaji Island Awajishima Details Awajishima has an area of 228.64 square miles. It is separated from Honshu by the Akashi Strait and from Shikoku by the Naruto Strait. The name  Awaji  originally means  "the road to Awa". Awa being the historic province in the Shikoku side of Naruto Strait which is now part of Tokushima Prefecture. Awajishima Route Map Heading to Awajishima via Akashi Kaikyo Bridge Awajishima 2 kilometers away. The island was finally connected to Kobe City in Hyogo Prefecture when Akashi Kaikyo Bridge opened on April 5, 1998. Together with the Kobe Awaji Naruto Expressway and Onaruto Bridge which was opened to the public in 1985,   Awajishima finally became a concrete link to Honshu and Shikoku. Gotta love the view fro

Connecting the island of Awaji and Kobe City which are both in Hyogo Prefecture, Akashi Kaikyo Bridge  ( 明石海峡大橋 )  is the longest bridge in Japan to date.  Akashi Kaikyo Bridge History Prior to the construction of the  Akashi Kaikyo Bridge , ferries carried passengers across the Akashi Strait. However, the strait is known to be a dangerous waterway that already took countless lives. The most famous of which was in 1955 when two ferries sank in the strait during a storm. This tragedy claimed 168 lives and was said to be what convinced the Japanese government to develop plans to construct a bridge. Akashi Kaikyo Bridge as seen from Awajishima Crossing Akashi Kaikyo Bridge from Kobe City Akashi Kaikyo Bridge  ( 明石海峡大橋 ) However, it took almost 30 years for the plans to come to reality. Construction of the bridge started in 1988 it involved 100 contractors and hundreds of laborers. The bridge finally opened to the public 10 years later on April 5, 1998. The total cost of

Day 10 May 26, 2018 Awajishima - Naruto Whirlpools Greetings from Osaka! The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) predicted that the Kansai Region would be experiencing cloudy to fine weather today. Sadly, my wife and I did not plan anything today as we were still finalizing our plan to visit Universal Studios Japan sometime this week. Someone woke up quite early for this trip... However, this day suddenly became special when Mr. Toshi surprised us with an announcement that we're going on a road trip to Awajishima (island) in Hyogo Prefecture and then head to Naruto in Tokushima Prefecture to see its famed whirlpools. Crossing Akashi Kaikyo Bridge Upon hearing this, my wife and I immediately prepared, and in less than an hour, we were already on the road. Together with Mr. Toshi's wife, daughter, and their dog Yomogi we drove from their house in Kumatori in Osaka Prefecture to Awaji Rest Area in Awajishima Island   in Hyogo Prefecture. Before reaching it we