Awaji Island is the largest island in the Seto Inland Sea. Nestled between mainland Japan and Shikoku, it’s a hotspot for anime enthusiasts, thanks to theme parks like Nijigen no Mori and Hello Kitty Smile. But that’s just the beginning!

Let’s talk flavors first. The island’s seafood—think sea bream, octopus, and pike conger—is top-notch, caught in strong ocean currents that give it a unique flavor. And it’s not just about the fish. Awaji is a foodie’s dream, boasting fertile areas that produce everything from Awaji beef to a unique three-year-bred pufferfish—drooling yet?

Now, onto the cities that make up this paradise. Starting up north, Awaji City is your gateway to the island. With killer access to Osaka and Kobe, it’s sprouting with attractions like the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge. Heading inland, Sumoto City, once the realm of Sumoto Castle, now hosts a bevy of traditional inns at Sumoto Onsen—your ideal base for island exploration.

Finally, swing south to Minamiawaji City. This is where Awaji greets Shikoku, thanks to the Onarauto Bridge. Natural marvels like the Naruto Strait’s colossal whirlpools meet cultural gems like the 500-year-old Awaji Ningyo Joruri Puppet Theater here. Plus, it’s a hub for diverse farming, including dairy, making it the backbone of the island’s rich food culture.

Awaji has no airport or train station, so buses and cars are the main options.

・From Osaka/Kobe: Cross the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge; ferries also run from the Akashi area.
・From Kansai Airport: The Limousine Bus goes directly to the island. Travel time: 90 minutes to Awaji Interchange, two hours to Sumoto Bus Center.
・From JR Osaka Station: Express buses take about 90 minutes to Nijigen no Mori, two hours to Sumoto Bus Center.
・From JR Kobe Station: Express buses run from JR Kobe Station. Travel time: about 90 minutes.

Getting around the island
Without a car, plan routes from key bus stops in advance; some hotels provide shuttles.
・Within Awaji City and Sumoto, loop-line buses are convenient.
・For longer trips, taxis or rentals are best. Sightseeing taxi plans (5 or 8 hours) are also available.
・Cyclists can enjoy the 150-km Awaichi circuit, with English route guides and itineraries featuring attractions, hot springs, and dining spots.

Awaji Highway Oasis sits beside a rest area at the foot of the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, which links mainland Japan with Awaji Island.

Visitors can move easily between three connected facilities: the Awaji Highway Oasis, the Awaji Service Area Inbound Line, and the Outbound Line. The Oasis is especially popular for its food, earning second place in the 2019 “Best Eats at Service and Parking Areas” ranking (Airtrip survey).

You’ll find a wide range of dining options here, from sushi and fresh pasta made with local ingredients to fusion spots blending Japanese and Western flavors. There are also hamburger specialty shops, beef bowls, and udon, the thick wheat noodles beloved across Japan. With so many tempting choices, deciding what to eat won’t be easy!

Menus are in Japanese, but photos of each dish make ordering simple even if you don’t read the language. Most restaurants also accept credit cards and electronic payments.

You can enjoy leisurely walks around the facility, located within the boundaries of a large park! On a sunny day, there are beautiful fields of flowers, grass squares, and an observation deck, giving you a sweeping view of the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge.

Anime fans from around the world flock to Nijigen no Mori (Awaji Island Anime Park), where immersive attractions bring to life the worlds of popular titles like Naruto, Godzilla, and Crayon Shin-chan.

From Osaka International Airport (Itami), Limousine buses run via the Kobe-Awaji Naruto Expressway to the Awaji Interchange, with stops at both the Highway Oasis Nijigen no Mori Entrance and the Awaji Interchange. Expressway buses also depart from Sannomiya in central Kobe.

Two days isn’t nearly enough to enjoy everything this sprawling park has to offer! With plenty of dining options and unique souvenirs, it’s a favorite among international visitors.

Admission to Nijigen no Mori is free, though each attraction requires a separate ticket. Tickets can be purchased on-site, but we recommend buying online in advance, as entry may be limited.

Because the park is so large, getting around requires either the paid tram car or the free excursion bus that runs along Awaji’s western coast.

For details, check the official website. Brochures are available in English, Chinese, and Korean, with English signboards throughout the park. Staff also speak basic English to assist visitors.

Hello Kitty has fans of all ages, and many visitors from abroad come to Hello Kitty Smile to meet the special princess Hello Kitty found only here. This dreamy spot is a must for fans, with chances to snap photos with Hello Kitty, dine in a beautifully designed restaurant, and browse an irresistibly cute souvenir shop.

A free shuttle bus takes you on a quick three-minute ride to the theater restaurant Hello Kitty Show Box, where you can enjoy a meal paired with an entertaining Hello Kitty performance.

To reach the park, take an express bus from Osaka and transfer to the free shuttle at the Awaji Interchange on the Kobe-Awaji Naruto Expressway, about ten minutes after the transfer. For a transfer-free option, toll buses run directly from Kobe’s Sannomiya area along Awaji’s western coast. Free parking is also available for those arriving by car.

The park features distinctive attractions such as the Hello Kitty Show Box with its 360-degree theater and the Hello Kitty Apple House, complete with an observation deck. In July 2022, the Apple House was recognized as both the world’s largest apple-shaped building and the largest character roof, drawing global attention. Seasonal summer events have been held since, and the facilities offer English signage with staff able to assist in basic English.

Zen is a form of seated meditation said to have begun 2,500 years ago in India with the enlightenment of the Buddha. It reached Japan about 700 years ago, where many samurai practiced zazen to maintain inner calm amid constant battles. Today, Zen-inspired mindfulness is embraced worldwide as a way to reduce stress and live with greater balance.

At the retreat Zenbo Seinei, guests can experience relaxing Zen and yoga sessions paired with healthy, nourishing meals. Open since April 2022, the retreat requires advance reservations, available for either a four-hour day trip package or an overnight stay via the official website (https://www.zenbo-seinei.com
).

Located in northern Awaji, the retreat is surrounded by mountains and sits directly on Japan’s 135° East meridian.

Its 100-meter-long wooden deck offers sweeping 360-degree views of the landscape. Here, guests can practice zazen or yoga while enjoying zenbo cuisine—light, nourishing meals featuring rice porridge, tofu, and seasonal ingredients from Awaji Island. English-speaking staff are on hand, ensuring a smooth and comfortable stay for international visitors.

By car, it takes about 40 minutes from Shin-Kobe Station or Kobe Airport to reach the Awaji Interchange on the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway, followed by another five minutes to the retreat. For public transport, take an express bus from Kobe Sannomiya Bus Terminal on the “Kita-Awaji Nishi-Kaigan Line, Iwaya, Nojima, and Hokudan Interchange” route and get off at “Zenbo Seinei-Mae.”

Awaji Yumebutai is a large resort complex featuring an international conference hall, hot spring, restaurant, shops, and an amphitheater. It was built on land originally excavated for the construction of Kansai International Airport.

The concept behind the facility is to restore nature to once-barren ground, creating a space where plants, animals, and people can coexist. Blending modern architecture with natural beauty, Awaji Yumebutai offers a striking setting right beside Akashi Kaikyo National Government Park (entrance fee required), where visitors can enjoy seasonal flowers throughout the year.

The grounds are designed by the world-renowned architect, Tadao Ando. You can enjoy the circular public facility, sky garden, umikairo, a passageway opening to the ocean, and yamakairo, a passageway that gives sweeping views from the rooftop garden.

Guide maps (English, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese) will be available.

It’s necessary to take both and a train (transfer at JR Sannomiya Station or JR Maiko Station) when traveling from Kobe and Osaka. If you want to stop by and see other works (Honpuku-ji Temple, TOTO Seawind Awaji etc.) by Tadao Ando, we recommend renting a car.

At the heart of Awaji Island lies Sumoto Onsen, the region’s largest sightseeing hub. Overlooking the town are the Sumoto Castle Ruins on Mt. Mikuma, while traces of the old castle town remain scattered throughout the hot spring village below.

Along the coastline, you’ll find long-established ryokan and large resort hotels, most offering hot spring baths with views of the sea. Guests can also savor Awaji Island’s rich seasonal bounty through beautifully prepared meals.

Several hotels also offer hot spring day-use packages, making Sumoto Onsen a popular spot not only for bathing but also for swimming at nearby Ohama Beach.

For those with extra time, exploring the town is highly recommended. Sumoto retains a traditional Japanese charm, with shrines, temple districts, and retro shopping streets to discover.

Access is convenient: from JR Sannomiya Station, it’s a 90-minute bus ride to the “Sumoto Bus Center,” with some direct buses continuing on to local hotels. By car, it’s just 10 minutes from the Sumoto Interchange on the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway.

At the Sumoto Tourist Information Center inside the bus terminal, visitors will find multilingual brochures, English-speaking support, and a telephone interpreter service covering 13 languages. This service is also available at the Awaji Service Area Tourist Information Center, Iwaya Tourist Information Center, and Minamiawaji Tourist Information Center.

From the mountaintops of northern Awaji, at elevations between 235 and 298 meters, a vast field of seasonal flowers stretches all the way to the ocean.

Covering about 15 hectares, this colorful expanse offers sweeping views from the Akashi Strait to Osaka Bay. The site is called Awaji sajiki, named after sajiki seki—the “special viewing seats” at festivals and fireworks displays.

It’s a 12-minute drive from the Sumoto Interchange on the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway. Admission is free, with parking available for 200 yen per visit. The fields are especially popular in spring and autumn.

The highlight of visiting Awaji Hanasajiki is finding your own favorite spot in the vast park and taking in the scenery at a leisurely pace. You can also unwind at the on-site restaurant and café or browse the shop for local specialties.

English brochures are available at the park office, and staff are equipped with Pocketalk translation devices, allowing them to assist visitors in multiple languages.

The Awaji Puppet Theater carries on over 500 years of tradition, preserving the Awaji Puppet Narrative, a performing art recognized as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and a symbol of Awaji Island.

Each performance features a single puppet brought to life by three puppeteers, while the story is narrated by a gidayu-bush, who shifts voices for every character. The drama is accompanied by the deep tones of the futozao shamisen, Japan’s distinctive three-stringed lute with a thick neck.

Once, some 40 puppet theaters operated across Japan, but today the Awaji Puppet Theater is the last remaining venue keeping this art form alive.

As times changed, the Awaji Puppet Theater started to add new features to its performances while keeping its essence pure. You can watch this precious production with English explanations and audio guides (English, Chinese, Korean) that walk you through the story before the show starts.

Powerful storytelling by a gidayu-bushi, the melodic futozao shamisen resounding in your body, and both dramatic and dainty movements of the puppets are absolutely enchanting.

The Awaji Puppet Theater can be accessed by taking a 15-minute drive to the Seidan-Mihara Interchange on the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway. The theater also has a shop popular for its original Japanese towels, picture postcards, and incense.

The Onaruto Bridge connects the Shikoku region and Awaji. Roadside Station Uzushio can be found at the end of the bridge, a five-minute drive toward the Awajishima-Minami Interchange on the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway. You’ll get a close-up view of one of the world’s most impressive whirlpools swirling in Naruto Strait at the observatory deck.

This roadside station is famous for its tasty eats, with hamburgers being the star attraction. The National Local Burger Grand Prix, a nationwide contest to crown Japan’s best burger, awarded the Awaji Island Onion Beef Burger first place in 2013 and the Awaji Island Onion Gratin Burger second place in 2014. Both are available at Roadside Station Uzushio.

Beyond burgers, the restaurant serves indulgent lunch options featuring seasonal seafood and premium Awaji Beef. Visitors will also find playful touches throughout the facility, like oversized onion-shaped chairs perfect for photos.

Payment is convenient, with JCB, VISA, and Mastercard accepted, along with QR code payments such as PayPay and Alipay.

The Naruto Strait, located between Awaji Island and Shikoku, is famous for its powerful tides that create dramatic whirlpools. Considered among the most impressive in the world, these whirlpools appear and vanish within seconds, in sizes ranging from small swirls to massive eddies. During flood tides in spring and autumn, some whirlpools can reach up to 20 meters in diameter.

The Uzushio Cruise offers a thrilling chance to see the powerful Naruto whirlpools up close. Tickets are available on the first floor of Road Station Fukura inside the Uzushio Dome Nanairokan.

Located within Fukura Port, the ticket office also has vending machines with multilingual guidance in English, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and Korean. Since tickets may sell out on the day, purchasing in advance via the official website is recommended (note: the site is in Japanese only).

Fukura Port is a 15-minute drive from the Seidan-Mihara Interchange on the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway. Travel time is about 1 hour 20 minutes from Kobe-Sannomiya Station and around 2 hours from Osaka-Umeda Station.

Awaji Island is a treasure trove of must-see locales, steeped in rich history and vibrant culture that'll keep you craving more. Plus, let's not forget the culinary hotspots that have foodies raving! We've just scratched the surface with our top ten attractions, so why not set out and uncover the island's hidden gems for yourself?

Text by: Hifumi Isokazu