Fodor's Expert Review Naruto Whirlpools

You can hear the thunderous roar of the giant tidal whirlpools at Naruto Kaikyo (the Naruto Straits) long before you see them. When they come into sight, the contrast between peaceful sky and furious, frothing sea is striking. The whirlpools are formed when the changing tides force a huge volume of water through the narrow, rocky bottleneck. A glass-bottom promenade called Uzu-no-michi overlooks the pools from 45 meters (148 feet) up, though even safely behind glass it's sweat-inducing if you don't like heights, especially when the promenade vibrates as trains rattle over the bridge above. The view, however, is even better from the deck of a tour boat. A few companies with different-size vessels offer rides that cost between ¥1,500 and ¥2,500, but all of them are exhilarating. Two of the best boats are the Wonder Naruto and the smaller Aqua Eddy, both run by Naruto Kankou Kisen. The tide table on the promenade's website shows when the pools will be at their best.