Hi again! This is Kurumi! This time, I’d like to introduce my favourite spots on Awaji Island.
Awaji Island is a long and narrow island located between Hyogo Prefecture in the Kansai region and Tokushima Prefecture in the Shikoku region in western Japan. The island is reachable by crossing a bridge by car, and you can either cross a bridge from Hyogo Prefecture or Tokushima Prefecture. The sea surrounding Awaji Island is called the Seto Inland Sea. Awaji Island is an island with whirlpools formed by the collision of the tidal currents of the Pacific Ocean and the Seto Inland Sea. The climate is warm all year round, with long hours of sunlight. You can visit the island without getting on a plane, and you can spend a relaxed time there. It feels like time passes so slowly. I would recommend it to people who are traveling to Shikoku or Kansai region, and have 1-2 days to spare. Here are some of my recommended sightseeing spots.
Uzu no Oka Onaruto Bridge Memorial Museum
This facility is located in the southwest of Awaji Island and was opened to commemorate the opening of the Onaruto Bridge. The Onaruto Bridge is the bridge between Awaji Island and Tokushima Prefecture. The view there is spectacular, especially on a sunny day!
Awaji Island is famous for onions, and you can experience the onions in several ways here!
First, let’s take a photo in front of the giant onion sculpture called Ottamanegi (tamanegi means onions in Japanese). They even have wigs designed to look like onions, so you can turn yourself into an onion! haha Second, you can eat lunch there. There is a shop called Awajishima Onion Kitchen at the entrance of the facility. They mainly sell burgers, and I recommend a burger called Awajishima Onion Beef Burger. You can do a takeaway, and eat at the facility’s terrace. You can munch on the hamburger while looking at the beautiful view! I did it, and that was awesome! Third, you can buy souvenirs at their shop. My favourite souvenir here is a steak sauce made with onions. It transforms plain meat into a feast. Fourth, there is a claw crane machine to catch onions! I think it is really rare, I have never seen it before. I saw some people succeeding, but I failed, and it was still fun!
– Kozora-so
There are three commercial facilities in Kozora-so; a cute sweet shop, a general store, and a hotel. You can see a nice view there because it is located a little higher. I always go there when I go to Awaji Island. It has a very calming and stylish atmosphere. Their cute sweet shop is called Kozora no Oyatsu, and I recommend you to have their muffins! Their muffins are not too sweet, and the flavor of each ingredient comes through. I really loved the banana-chocolate muffin! The general store was selective about each item, offering a range of attractive products. It is a fun place to buy gifts for someone.
– Nijigen no Mori
If you are a fan of Japanese animations of the following then this place is for you: Crayon Shin Chan, Naruto, SPY×FAMILY, BLEACH, Dragon Quest, Monster Hunter, and Godzilla. The Admission fee is free, and you pay for each attraction you want to enjoy. There are some areas where you can enjoy it for free. I went there with my toddler, and we had a lot of fun by just visiting Crayon Shin Chan’s free area. Nijigen no Mori is really huge, and they have a lot of car parking areas, so before visiting there make sure to check which parking area is the closest to the attraction you are interested in.
There are more spots that make Awaji Island appealing! Spacious parks, roadside stations, delicious restaurants, etc… As I wrote above, if you are visiting the Shikoku or Kansai region and are accessible to Awaji Island, I really recommend you to visit Awaji Island!