Day 2
The second morning began with a drive towards Uzu no Oka, where Awaji’s love for onions goes far beyond the kitchen and enters a whole new world of tourism.
Here, onions are practically an attraction in their own right. There are onion-themed displays, playful photo opportunities, and views over the surrounding landscape. And, of course, there’s an onion-shaped photo spot!
Because why wouldn’t there be one?
We embraced the theme, had a look around, and continued towards the southern tip of the island.
One of the experiences we were particularly looking forward to was seeing the famous Naruto whirlpools, known in Japanese as uzushio.
These natural whirlpools form in the Naruto Strait, where powerful tidal currents flow between the Seto Inland Sea and the Pacific Ocean. They’re one of the region’s most famous natural attractions, and we were hoping to catch a glimpse of them from a nearby viewing spot.
Unfortunately, nature had other plans for us. Again!
The tidal conditions that day were expected to produce relatively weak whirlpools, and our chosen viewing spot didn’t give us a particularly clear view of the action with a bridge on the way. We waited and looked, but the spectacular swirling water we had imagined simply never appeared. The rain certainly didn’t help either, making it even harder to see anything at a distance.
Well, you can’t win them all! Nature is unpredictable, and we were already getting used to the theme of our weekend: expect the unexpected and enjoy the journey anyway.
We continued towards the bridge connecting the area to Tokushima Prefecture, reaching the southernmost part of our island adventure before gradually making our way north along the western coast.
Even without the whirlpools, the drive itself was lovely. Exploring an island by car gives you the freedom to stop and enjoy the scenery along the way, and Awaji had plenty of beautiful coastal views to offer. The rain couldn’t completely ruin that!
As we continued north, we came across a small tea house tucked away from the main route: Japanese Tea House Tsukiyomi.
And what a lovely little discovery that turned out to be!
The atmosphere was cosy, and the views made it a perfect place to stop for a while. But the best surprise came when we started chatting with the women working there.
They knew Obubu!
We found this absolutely delightful. It’s always a special feeling to meet people who are familiar with what you do, especially when you’re travelling somewhere completely different from your usual surroundings. What started as a spontaneous café stop quickly turned into a little moment of connection over tea.
After a weekend spent driving around, chasing views, and occasionally getting soaked, sitting down in a cosy tea house felt like the perfect way to slow down and enjoy the moment.
It’s funny how some of the nicest memories from a trip come from the places you never planned to visit in the first place.
Before leaving Awaji Island, we made one final stop at another beach along the western coast. The weather still wasn’t exactly beach-friendly, but we couldn’t resist one last look at the sea before heading home.
And then came the final part of our adventure: the drive back to Wazuka.
What we had hoped would be a straightforward journey turned into roughly three hours on the road, thanks to traffic jams. After two days of exploring, we were more than ready to get home!
Still, we arrived safely, tired but happy, with plenty of memories to look back on.
A rainy weekend worth remembering
Looking back, our weekend may have been a little wetter than expected, but Awaji Island still had plenty to offer. From Tadao Ando’s striking architecture and beautiful coastal views to onion-inspired treats and an unexpected tea house discovery, we found something to enjoy at almost every stop.
Exploring the island by rental car gave us the freedom to discover different corners of Awaji at our own pace, even when the weather wasn’t cooperating.
If you’re planning a visit, our advice would be to check the tides if you want to see the Naruto whirlpools, plan your trip around the flowering season if flowers are your main interest, and leave a little room for spontaneous detours. You never know what you might discover along the way!
As for us, we came back with wet shoes, full stomachs, a little more appreciation for onions, and plenty of happy memories.
And honestly, that’s what a good weekend adventure is all about.