Naruto, Tokushima Prefecture, Shikoku Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Naruto (鳴門市) is a city located in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded in 1947.

The Naruto whirlpools are between Naruto and Awaji Island in Hyōgo. The Ōtsuka Museum of Art is the largest exhibition space in Japan.

Ryōzen-ji and Gokuraku-ji, the first two of the 88 temples of the Shikoku Pilgrimage, are in Naruto, along with Tōrin-in and Ōasahiko Jinja.

Naruto has the home stadium of professional football team Tokushima Vortis and of baseball team Tokushima Indigo Socks.

Geography Naruto is located in the north-eastern tip of Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. It is bordered by the Seto Inland Sea to the north and the Kii Channel to the east and faces Awaji Island across the Naruto Strait, which is famous for its whirlpools. The city is located in the easternmost part of the Sanuki Mountains.

Neighbouring municipalities Tokushima Prefecture • Matsushige • Kitajima • Itano

Kagawa Prefecture • Higashikagawa.

History As with all of Tokushima Prefecture, the area of Naruto was part of ancient Awa Province. During the Edo period, the area was part of the holdings of Tokushima Domain ruled by the Hachisuka clan from their seat at Tokushima Castle. The villages of Seto (瀬戸村), Naruto (鳴門村 Muya (撫養村), and Satoura (里浦村) were established within Itano District, Tokushima with the creation of the modern municipalities system on October 1, 1889. Seto became a town on November 1, 1938, Naruto on April 1, 1940, and Muya on March 15, 1947. The four municipalities merged on March 15, 1947 to form the city of Narunan (鳴南市), which was renamed Naruto two months later on May 15, 1947.

Government Naruto has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 22 members. Naruto contributes three members to the Tokushima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Tokushima 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy Naruto has a mixed economy of agriculture, commercial fishing, food processing and pharmaceuticals. In the past, the salt industry was thriving. Naruto was the origin of the Otsuka Pharmaceutical Group and the Naruto Salt Industry, both of which still have a number of facilities in the city.

Transport: Rail Shikoku Railway Company – Kōtoku Line • Ikenotani - Bandō

Shikoku Railway Company – Naruto Line • Ikenotani - Awa-Ōtani - Tatsumichi - Kyōkaimae - Konpiramae - Muya - Naruto.

Transport: Road • Tokushima Expressway • Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway • National Route 11 • National Route 28.