Anan Coast, Tokushima: Where Sea Turtles Nest by Moonlight

3. How to watch turtles without harming them

Sea turtles are extremely sensitive, and human behaviour can easily disrupt nesting or hatching. Follow these rules to protect the turtles and their beach:

1. Stay quiet. Turtles react to noise and light. Don't shout or run; watch calmly and in silence.
2. No lights. Torches and camera flashes can startle a nesting turtle into stopping, and they disorient hatchlings trying to find the sea. Using any light during night-time observation is strictly forbidden.
3. Keep your distance. Don't crowd adult turtles or hatchlings. As a rule of thumb, stay at least 10 metres away.
4. Never touch. Don't touch a turtle while she is laying, or a newly hatched turtle. You can harm the animal or stop a hatchling from reaching the water.
5. Leave eggs and nests alone. Digging up or touching eggs or nests is strictly prohibited.
6. Take your rubbish home. Help keep the beach clean and carry out everything you bring.

At Ohama Beach, the Ohama Beach Sea Turtle Information Center provides information about the turtles and carries out conservation work. Check the latest information before you visit.

4. Where to learn about sea turtles

Two facilities near the coast explain loggerhead ecology and the conservation work behind it. Visiting one before a night on the beach helps you understand what you are seeing and makes the experience far more moving. Hours and prices below are as listed when this guide was written, so confirm them before you go.

5. Nearby sights

There is more to this coast than turtles. From natural viewpoints to historic temples, these sights round out a trip.

Cape Gamoda (蒲生田岬)

At the easternmost point of Shikoku, Cape Gamoda looks out over the open Pacific. A white lighthouse is its landmark, and walking paths lead around the headland. Time your visit for sunrise and you can watch the sun climb out of the ocean on the horizon.

• Address: Gamoda, Tsubaki-cho, Anan, Tokushima
• Access: about 50 minutes by car from JR Anan Station; parking available
• Time needed: about 1 hour, including a walk

Tairyu-ji Temple (太龍寺)

Tairyu-ji, Temple 21 of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, is a revered temple known as the "Koya of the West". It stands near the top of a mountain at about 600 metres, and the way up is the Tairyuji Ropeway, a ride through the air with wide views of the surrounding nature that change with every season. In the autumn colours, the view is breathtaking.

• Address: 2 Ryuzan, Kamo-cho, Anan, Tokushima
• Access: about 30 minutes by car from JR Anan Station to the ropeway's base station, then up by ropeway
• Ropeway fare: return ¥2,600 for adults, ¥1,300 for children
• Ropeway hours: 7:20–17:00 (varies by season; check before you go)
• Time needed: about 10 minutes each way on the ropeway, plus 1 to 1.5 hours at the temple

Byodo-ji Temple (平等寺)

Like Tairyu-ji, Byodo-ji is on the Shikoku pilgrimage: it is Temple 22, the next stop on the route, and pilgrims come here to pray for protection from misfortune (yakuyoke). The grounds hold the main hall and the Daishi Hall, and the atmosphere is calm enough for an unhurried visit.

• Address: 177 Akiyama, Aratano-cho, Anan, Tokushima

6. Getting around: rent a car

Public transport in rural Tokushima is sparse and buses run infrequently, while the places in this guide are spread out: the Tairyuji Ropeway is about 30 minutes by car from JR Anan Station, Cape Gamoda about 50 minutes, and the turtles come ashore after dark, when you will want your own way back to your room. That makes a rental car by far the most practical way to see the coast properly, and it lets you pull over at any beach or viewpoint that catches your eye.

✨ Tip: Book a rental car with OlaChill and explore the Anan coast at your own pace.

Visitors from abroad need an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention alongside their home licence. Drivers from a few countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, Monaco, Switzerland and Taiwan, need an official Japanese translation of their licence instead. Requirements can change, so confirm the current rules before you leave home.

7. A two-day plan

This plan combines the turtles with the capes and temples above. Travel times come from the listings in this guide; allow extra time for stops along the coast.

Day 1: temples and turtles

• Morning: Drive about 30 minutes from JR Anan Station to the Tairyuji Ropeway (listed hours start at 7:20, but they vary by season). Ride up in about 10 minutes and allow 1 to 1.5 hours at Tairyu-ji.
• Late morning: Continue to Byodo-ji, Temple 22 of the pilgrimage, for a quiet visit.
• Lunch: Stop at a roadside restaurant or rest area, and try Tokushima ramen if you see it on a menu.
• Afternoon: Visit the Hiwasa Sea Turtle Museum Caretta to see live turtles, and stop at the Ohama Beach Sea Turtle Information Center for the latest turtle news (both are listed as open until 17:00; the centre closes on Tuesdays).
• Evening: Check in to your hotel or ryokan. In nesting season, if you head to the beach after dark, ask at the information centre that afternoon for the latest guidance, then follow the rules above: no lights, no noise, and at least 10 metres from any turtle.

Day 2: sunrise at the easternmost cape

• Sunrise: Be at Cape Gamoda (about 50 minutes by car from JR Anan Station) to watch the sun come up over the Pacific, then walk out to the white lighthouse (allow about 1 hour). After a late night on the beach this is an early start, so skip it if you would rather sleep.
• Morning: Have breakfast, then drive the coastal roads at an easy pace, stopping at beaches and viewpoints as you go.
• Afternoon: Head on to your next destination. If you have more time in Tokushima, the Iya Valley and its vine bridge make a dramatic inland contrast to the coast.

8. Practical tips

• 🐢 Treat a turtle as a bonus: nesting is a wild event, so plan the trip to be worthwhile even on a night when none come ashore.
• 🔦 Leave the torch in the car: on the beach at night, keep torches, flashes and phone screens off. Light is what disturbs nesting turtles and hatchlings most.
• ℹ️ Stop at the information centre before dark: it is free and has the latest turtle news, but it closes at 17:00 and all day on Tuesdays, so time your visit, and your night on the beach, around that.
• 🚗 Book your rental car early: July, the best turtle month, is also peak travel season across Japan. Reserve at least 1 to 2 weeks ahead.
• ⛽ Fill up in town: petrol stations are sparse in rural Tokushima, so top up before heading out to Cape Gamoda or the ropeway.
• 📱 Download offline maps: save an offline Google Maps area for southern Tokushima in case the phone signal drops along the coast.
• ☁️ Check the forecast: this matters most during the June rainy season (tsuyu), when heavy rain can affect coastal roads.

Anan coast at a glance

The Anan coast rewards travellers who slow down. Come in July if you can, learn about the turtles at Caretta or the information centre, then spend an evening on the beach with your torch switched off and your voice low. Add a sunrise at Cape Gamoda and a ropeway ride up to Tairyu-ji, and you will leave with a very different picture of Japan from the one in the guidebooks.