Sights in Tokushima Ken
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Chūō-kōen
Northeast of the train station, on the slopes of Shiroyama, is Chūō-kōen, where you'll find the scant ruins of Tokushima-jō (Tokushima Castle). Built in 1585 for Hachisuka Iemasa after he was granted the fiefdom of Awa by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, most of the castle was destroyed in 1875 following the Meiji Restoration. If you're having problems imagining the former grandeur of the site, Tokushima Castle Museum contains an impressive reconstruction of the castle town at its peak, as well as the daimyō's (domain lord's) boat, some displays of armour, and letters to the local lord from Hideyoshi and the first Tokugawa shogun, Ieyasu. The displays are all in Japanese. The bea…
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Bizan
Bizan means 'eyebrow' and the site surrounding the 280m-high summit raises the interest of most visitors to Tokushima. As you arrive at the foot of Bizan, at the southwestern end of Shinmachibashi-dōri, you pass Awa Odori Kaikan, which features extensive exhibits relating to the Awa-odori Matsuri and dance. The dance is performed at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm daily (with an additional performance at 11am on weekends), with a nightly performance at 8pm (afternoon/evening performances ¥500/700). From the 5th floor, a cable car whizzes you to the top of Bizan for fine views over the city. A combined ticket covering the museum, cable car and dance show is ¥1500.
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Awa Puppet Theatre
For hundreds of years, puppet theatre thrived in the farming communities around Tokushima. The traditional dramas can still be seen at Awa Jūrobei Yashiki, in the former residence of Bandō Jūrobei, a samurai who allowed himself to be executed for a crime he didn't commit in order to preserve the good name of his master. The tale provided inspiration for the drama Keisei Awa no Naruto, first performed in 1768. Sections from the play are performed at 11am daily, and at 11am and 2pm on weekends. More puppets can be seen at nearby Awa Deko Ningyō Kaikan. To get to the museum, take a bus for Tomiyoshi Danchi (富吉団地) from Tokushima Station and get off at the Jūrobei Yashiki-…
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