Awaji Island

Very little evidence of Awaji's history remains though, and today's Awajishima is a typically Japanese densely populated but still rural area, known primarily for its onions. The current total population hovers around 150,000, and unlike most rural areas in Japan is slowly on the rise due to the improved connections to the mainland, and these days Awaji's most impressive structures are its bridges.

Akashi Kaikyo Bridge

明石海峡大橋, (http://www.hsba.go.jp/bri...). Completed in 1998, this majestic bridge dwarfs the village of Iwaya below. The bridge's total length is 3,991 meters, and the main span's length of 1,991m makes it the longest suspension bridge in the world. The bridge is attractively lit at night. To get to the bridge, take JR Kobe line from Osaka and get off at Maiko station. Here you can walk under the bridge and enter the observation deck. From the next station, Asagiri, you can walk down to the water and get a nice view over the bridge.

To see the Naruto whirlpools, stop at the expressway rest area at the southernmost tip of the island near the Onaruto bridge. If you have money to spare, you can take a little boat cruise to see them up close; note that whirlpools only appear when the tide is coming in or out.

Aside from whirlpools and burial mounds and onions, Awajishima's main claim to fame are its beaches, especially on the more sparsely settled northern coast. They're nothing spectacular by international standards, but a popular nearby summer getaway for Kansai-ites just the same, and Awajishima has many campgrounds that cater to the budget traveller.

There are also a number of hot springs onsen, the best known of which are Awaji's largest town Sumoto and the mildly radioactive! waters of Iwaya adjacent to the northern bridge.

The Sumoto Castle (http://en.wikipedia.org/w...) requires quite a hike but is a small beautiful castle at the top of a hill and can be seen from all over Sumoto. The view from the top is extraordinary.

There are two buildings designed by famous Japanese architect Tadao Ando on Awaji Shima: Water Temple (http://www.galinsky.com/b...) and Yume no Butai.

A section of the Nojima Fault, responsible for the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake, preserved at Nojima Fault Preservation Museum.

The Kiseki no Hoshi Botanical Museum (http://www.kisekinohoshi....) a beautiful stop on the bus line. There are numerous exhibits indoor and out. It is connected to the Westin Hotel.

Scattered here and there are a number of herb and biwa loquat farms. The southern coast, however, is essentially one long semi-urban sprawl filled with the stink scent of ripening onions; the only breaks in the monotony are a fairly hideous but huge concrete statue of the Buddhist deity Kannon and the inevitable Onokoro Amusement Park.