福良
Fukura is the main town of Western Awaji. It sits across a small range of hills from the main Minami-Awaji plain, and is blessed with a beautiful little natural harbour. In days past, Fukura was an important port with links to Shikoku, and there is still more industry here than on much of the rest of Awaji.
The area is home to a number of hotel developments, mostly on hill tops overlooking the bay. Fukura’s town center is very compact, and contains a few points of interest for visitors:
AWAJI PUPPET THEATER – Awaji has a long tradition of puppet theater, and was instrumental in the development of the art form in Japan. The island’s main puppet theater troupe performs most days at a facility in central Fukura. More details can be found here.
WHIRLPOOL CRUISES – Fukura is the Awaji base for boat cruises to the Naruto Strait and Whirlpools. These boats travel into the heart of the strait, and allow passengers to view the whirlpools from up close. Boats only run at the tide times when the whirlpools form, which vary from day to day. You can check boat schedules on their website:
The trip lasts approximately one hour, and costs ¥2000. Note that whirlpool cruises also run from Naruto, on the other side of the strait.
FUKURA HACHIMANGU – On a small hill in the town center, this shrine is home to buildings dating back to the early 17th century.
TRANSPORT:
Fukura’s bus station is across the street from the puppet theater. There are regular buses to Kobe and Shikoku from here, as well as local buses to elsewhere on Awaji. See the Western Awaji page for more details.
Some free shuttle buses run from central Fukura to the Naruto Strait, the Naruto Bridge Memorial, and a couple of local hotels. Ask at the tourist center for more details.
Awaji Island 