Tokushima is the main city of Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku Island. The population now stands at 0.26 million. This city is famous for Awa-odori, the traditional dancing festival held every summer, but that’s not all. There is a popular sightseeing spot, Mt. Bizan, close to downtown. Visitors can enjoy superb view of the urban area and Kii Channel from the summit.
To visit Mt. Bizan, “Bizan Ropeway” is convenient. It’s owned by Tokushima City Office. Connecting Awa-odori-kaikan and Sancho stations, the route length is 787 meters. It's a single-cable cross type aerial tramway. The height difference of the two stations is 242 meters. The maximum inclination on the route is 30.23 degrees. Bizan Ropeway was originally opened in 1957. The third-generation double gondolas were built by Osaka Sharyo in 1997. Passenger capacity per gondola is 15; therefore, a total of 30 persons can ride on each trip. They look like Haruna-san Ropeway in Gumma Prefecture. The gondola is operated every 15 minutes with a maximum speed of 4.1 meters per second. It takes about 6 minutes to go one way. The nickname of these gondolas is “Hyotan (Gourd) View”.
On February 17th, Tokushima City Office announced that new gondolas of Bizan Ropeway will be commissioned on March 30th. This is the first introduction of new gondolas in 25 years. According to the city office, the new gondolas will be angular-shaped, and have large windows. That sounds exciting. Sayonara (Good-bye) and arigatou (thank you) Hyotan View gondolas.
