Bizan Park (Mount Bizan)
眉山公園
A park atop an eyebrow-shaped mountain beside central Tokushima. Ride the ropeway up for a famous night view; on clear days you can see Awaji Island.
The "eyebrow mountain" of an ancient poem
Mount Bizan sits right beside the centre of Tokushima City. Its name is said to come from the way it looks like an eyebrow (bi means eyebrow, zan means mountain) from whichever direction you see it. It even appears in the Man'yoshu, a poetry collection from the Nara period (8th century), in a line that describes "the mountain of Awa, seen in the clouds like an eyebrow". Awa is the old name of the province that is now Tokushima.
Mount Bizan is regarded as the symbol of Tokushima City, and the area around the summit has been laid out as Bizan Park.
The view from the top, by day and by night
From the viewing area at the summit you can take in the whole of Tokushima's cityscape. On clear days you may even see across the sea to Awaji Island and the mountains of the Kii Peninsula in Wakayama Prefecture.
The night view from Mount Bizan has been chosen as one of Japan's "100 Best Night Views". Once the sun goes down, the lights of Tokushima spread out beneath your feet.
The pagoda and other things to see in the park
At the summit stands a white Buddhist tower, the Pagoda Peace Memorial Tower. Built in a Myanmar (Burmese) style, it was put up to honour the memory of the people who died in the Pacific War.
Besides the viewing facilities, the park has a lawn called the Flower and Bird Observation Plaza, and a Western-style gazebo that was given by the city of Saginaw in Michigan, USA, in 1989. Cherry blossom colours the mountain in spring, and autumn leaves in autumn.
Up to the summit by ropeway
The lower station of the Bizan Ropeway is on the fifth floor of the Awa Odori Kaikan (a hall devoted to Tokushima's famous Awa Odori dance), about a 10-minute walk from JR Tokushima Station. The ride to the summit station takes about 6 minutes, and the gondolas were replaced with new ones in spring 2025.
If you are driving, you can go up by a road called the Bizan Parkway, and the park has a free car park. The ropeway stops running for a period every year for safety inspections, so check the official website for the current operating status.
Tips
- The ropeway's lower station is within walking distance of the station, so you can head straight there when you arrive at Tokushima Station.
- If you are going up for the night view, check the time of the last ropeway down beforehand for peace of mind.
- In some years the cherry blossoms are lit up in the evening during the season. Check the dates on the Tokushima City official website.
Sources
Updated 29 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.
