Naruto whirlpools

The strait between Naruto and Awaji island has a width of about 1.3 km (0.81 miles).

The strait is one of the connections between the Pacific Ocean and the Inland Sea, a body of water separating Honshū and Shikoku, two of the main islands of Japan.

The tide moves large amounts of water into and out of the Inland Sea twice a day.

During a spring tide, the speed of the water may reach 20 km/h (12 mph), creating vortices up to 20 m (66 ft) in diameter.

The whirlpools can be observed from the shore on Awaji island, from tourist ships, or from the Uzunomichi Walkway of the 1985 Ōnaruto Bridge spanning the strait.

Naruto Strait, view from Awaji, with flow from the right, spanned by Ōnaruto Bridge
Naruto whirlpools as seen from a tourist boat
This Hiroshige ukiyo-e print shows a Naruto whirlpool.