Tokushima stroll | Take a stroll along the Muya Kaido

Today’s stroll　Tokushima,Naruto
Muya Kaido used to be a gateway to Awa, and many pilgrims used to make their way to the first temple from here, making it a very busy place. Since the opening of the Akashi Bridge, there are no more travelers on the road, but this 24 km walk will take you back to that time and allow you to experience the culture and history of the town.
The starting station, Naruto Station, is the northernmost station in Tokushima Prefecture. You cannot cross Ogejima on foot, so you must take a bus or a ferry. Both trains and buses run about 2-3 times an hour, so be careful when traveling.

Today’s Route

A.”Naruto Station”, the northernmost station in Tokushima Prefecture.
B.”Tosa-domari”, which played a role in Shikoku’s maritime traffic
C.”Chomeiji Temple”, a hydrangea temple in Shikoku
D.”Kozaisyo’s tomb”, quietly overlooking the sea
E.”Myoken Shrine”, with a panoramic view of Naruto City.
F.Forbidden mock castle tower “Muya Castle”
G.”Muya Kaido”,the entrance to Shikoku
H.”The “Civilization Bridge”,was the entrance to the civilization of Japan.
I.”Awa Shrine”,the only shrine in Shikoku under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Household Agency

A.Naruto Station

In front of the station, there is a footbath called “Furoinde,” which you can easily use while waiting for the train.

There is also a tourist information center, where you can consult about complicated bus routes.

 B.Tosa-domari

Eight minutes from Naruto Station, cross the Onaruto Bridge and get off at Tosa-no-tomari. 5 minutes down the hill is a calm inland sea. It is said that the name Tosa-no-tomari came from the fact that ships used to stop here to sail to and from Tosa and Kyoto, and it has been a key point for maritime traffic in Shikoku for over 1000 years.

C.Chomeiji Temple

A three-minute walk inland takes you to a narrow alleyway, so quiet that you might pass it by.

This is the family temple of Shima Mori, known for his “Awa Suigun,” and Tosadomari was the home base of the Mori family until the Hachisuka clan entered Awa.

Monument to Kinotsurayuki’s poem

It is written in the Tosa Diary that in the 5th year of Jouhei (935), the poet of the Heian period (794-1185) In the Tosa Diary, it is written that in 935, the Heian period poet “Kinotsurayuki” stopped at Tosa-domari on his way to the capital after completing his duties as the governor of Tosa.

＜A poem composed during a port call at Tosa Tomari＞

年ごろを　住し所の　名にし負えば

来寄る波をも　あわれとぞ見る

『This place has the same name as the place I lived for many years before, so even the waves that come in are nostalgic.』

D.Kozaisyo’s tomb

A five-minute walk along the calm inland sea from Chomeiji Temple to the bay will take you to the tomb of Kozaiso, the most beautiful woman in the court, on a hill overlooking the Naruto Sea.

She was the wife of Taira no Michimori, who was killed in the Genpei War. She was saddened by the defeat of her husband in the Ichinotani War and threw herself into the sea.
Because she was pregnant, it is said that the shrine has the power to give birth to children.

E.Myoken Shrine

Myoken Shrine is located at the top of Mt. Myoken after climbing 150 meters of stone steps, and offers a panoramic view of the city of Naruto.

In the Heian period (794-1185), the shrine was enshrined as Myoken Shrine under the influence of the Hokushin (North Star) worship, and was rebuilt as Myoken Shrine in 1830.

Kangetsuden

An open-air shrine building built on the edge of a cliff in the precincts of a shrine. It often doubles as an ema-den.

From Kangetsuden, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city of Naruto.

F.Muya Castle (Trinade Naruto)

Muya Castle is said to have existed in 1525 at the top of Mount Myoken, 60 meters above sea level.

The current building is based on the motif of Muya Castle, with the image of a mock castle tower built on the site where there was originally no castle tower.

G.Muya Kaido

A historical building reminiscent of the prosperity of the road in those days, when it flourished as a shipping route.

The remains of a store labeled “Fertilizer Merchant. It was probably a store that dealt in fish oil and other trading goods brought from Hokkaido by Kitamae-sen.

H.Civilization Bridge

The Muya River used to be a major port, and ferry boats used to come and go until 1870, when a wooden bridge was built. The area around the bridge was once part of the Muya Port, which flourished as a gateway to the civilization of Japan.

I.Awa Shrine

Emperor Tsuchimikado, the deity of the shrine, was the first son of Emperor Go-Toba. After the Jokyu War, his father, Emperor Go-Toba, was exiled to Oki and his brother, Emperor Juntoku, to Sado.

In 1940, as part of the 2600th anniversary project, the shrine’s name was changed from Maruyama Shrine to Awa Shrine, and construction was started. The shrine was scheduled to be upgraded to a government-funded grand shrine, the only one of its kind in Shikoku, but this did not happen because of the abolition of the shrine rating system after the war.

The spacious precincts are neat and clean, and the shrine building has the appearance of a government-sponsored shrine with a mountain in the background. It was quiet and relaxing.

Review of the route

Access to Naruto Station

Naruto Station : 772-0012 Okuwajima Maehama, Fuyocho, Naruto City, Tokushima Prefecture

Parking around Tokushima, Naruto

Stroll Tokushima,Naruto Official Website

Related sites of introduced facilities

Chomeiji Temple : Awa Navi’s Shiomyoji page
Muya Castle : Awa Navi’s Muya Castle page
Muya Kaido : Awa Navi’s Muya Kaido page
Awa Shrine : Awa Navi’s Awa Shrine page

Recommended around Tokushima, Naruto