Castle Attractions In Itano-gun

Japan Trip: Life prisoner of war Friendships Naruto German House Naruto city, Shikoku

Japan Trip: Life prisoner of war Friendships Naruto German House Naruto city, Shikoku
【★015★Tokushima Naruto German House】
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Naruto, part of Tokushima Prefecture, is the northeastern most city on Shikoku Island. The city is known for its swirling whirlpools. You can see them in the Strait of Naruto underneath the Onaruto Bridge which connects Tokushima to Awaji Island.
Naruto is also the starting point of the Shikoku Pilgrimage or Henro, which is a religious pilgrimage where one goes around visiting the 88 holy temples on Shikoku.

Naruto German House
During World War I, Japan participated on the side of the Entente Powers or Allies, seizing some of Germany's Asian and Pacific colonial territories, as well as prisoners of war. Around one thousand German soldiers were held at Bando Camp outside central Naruto. They were allowed to live considerably freely while working within and developing friendships with the local Japanese community there.
After the war ended, they continued the friendships, eventually resulting in a sister city relationship between Naruto and the German city of Lueneburg. The German House (Doitsukan) was built as a gesture of goodwill, and houses an excellent museum on the lives of the Bando Camp prisoners. A variety of photographs and models are on display with explanations in Japanese, German and English.

A ten minute walk south of the German House lies the German Village Park (Doitsu Mura Kōen), a small, somewhat calm park with a memorial that lists the names of the German prisoners died during their imprisonment.

German House
Hours: 9:30 to 17:00 (last entry at 16:30)
Closed: Fourth Monday of every month (or the following Tuesday if Monday is a national holiday)
December 28th to 31st.
Admission: 400 yen

Access Information
Via train
From Naruto Station, bord theJR train for Ikenotani Station and transfer to another train for Bando Station. The one-way journey takes about 40 minutes with a cost of 260 yen and is covered by the Japan Rail Pass. There is about one connection per hour. From Bando Station, it is about 1.5 kilometers to Doitsu Mura Koen (about 20 minutes by walk) and an additional ten minute walk to the German House.

Via local bus
Buses between Naruto Station and Itano Station (Oasa Line) stop at Doitsu Mura Koen along the way. Some of the buses also stop at the German House, which is placed a ten minute walk north of Doitsu Mura Koen. Othe one- way journey takes about 30 with a cost of 350 yen. Buses operate only once every two hours.

Via highway bus

The German House is a ten minute walk from Naruto Nishi bus stop along the Takamatsu Expressway. The stop is served by highway buses from Takamatsu bound for Tokushima, but note that buses in the opposite direction (from Tokushima) do not allow travelers to get off at the Naruto Nishi bus stop.