One island’s transformation into a major tourist getaway

AWAJI, Hyogo Prefecture–A major redevelopment is afoot on an island roughly the same size as Tokyo’s 23 wards.  

Rather than glittering urbanity, domestic tourists and prospective businesses are heading to Awajishima island for a resort experience amid an explosion of new restaurants and successive hotel openings.

Expansive views of the Seto Inland Sea and dreamy sunsets are a big part of the island’s popularity, as is its easy access from the Keihanshin metropolis consisting of Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe.

“The redevelopment is advancing at an unexpected pace,” said Awaji Mayor Yasuhiko Kado, who welcomes the rapidly changing landscape. “The value of the ocean scenery and setting sun have been rediscovered, enabling citizens to harbor dreams for the future of the isle plagued by a shrinking population.”

LOCAL PRODUCE AND A GLOBAL SUPERSTAR

Kado is also behind the rebranding of the Nishiura (west beach) of the island to “‘West Coast’ in a bid to improve its image for promoting tourism” around 2005. The name has largely stuck.

Another foundational pursuit that spurred others is Nojima Scuola, a former elementary school reimagined into a commercial facility that houses a farmers’ market, restaurant and other shops.

Pasona Group Inc., a major staffing agency based in Tokyo, started a project in 2008 to nurture a farming crew at an agricultural facility on the island.

Nojima Scuola gave the facility a venue where its crops could be used and sold.

The location’s picturesque waterfront was also a boon that Pasona Group did not let go to waste. Since 2014, it has introduced around 12 eateries and other commercial spots.

The Hello Kitty Smile complex is a quirkier addition with various themed attractions and restaurants on its grounds, among other things. It is also instantly recognizable thanks to a giant re-creation of the iconic character’s head peering out over the water.

While Pasona Group may have gotten a comparatively early start, it is not the only conglomerate doing business on the West Coast.

Osaka-headquartered Balnibarbi Co. started the Frogs Farm projects and has opened 20 establishments since 2019, its first being an Italian restaurant.

The company operates about 100 restaurants nationwide, and its endeavors on Awajishima are mostly concentrated in Awaji, the northernmost of the island’s three cities.

Among the cluster of good eats at the Frogs Farm leisure venue are Etsusaburo, a conveyor belt sushi restaurant facing the sea, and Good Morning Burger Awaji.

The Frogs Farm also hosts hotels and a “glamping” (glamorous camping) site.

A DELECTABLE VIEW

Sure, there are pancake joints all over Japan, but all-day brunch by the sea is prime vacation material.

Ever since A Happy Pancake opened its main store on Awajishima island in 2019, its terrace overlooking the water has become a social media hot spot. So is the restaurant’s “Happy Stairs” photo area at the end of a pier by the terrace.

The white staircase ascends to a doorframe that makes visitors appear as though they are floating above the vast blue waves in their photos. It’s not unusual to see lines of couples and families.

Takayuki Okubo, a 45-year-old company employee, and Hitomi Adachi, 44, said it was “great to be able to see an ocean view while enjoying pancakes.” The two were visiting from Kyoto for the first time and were pleased with the locale.

According to the Happy Pancake’s Awajishima Terrace outlet, it has the highest sales among its 24 affiliates that primarily serve the breakfast dish both in and outside Japan.

Aside from the pancake parlor, the company plans to set up a cafe this fall so customers can bring their dogs along.

“Awajishima is attracting a lot of interest among other tourist destinations in the Kansai region,” said a representative of the store. “More and more sightseers from abroad are arriving, and our customer numbers are expected to further increase from here on out.”

GROWING PAINS

Apart from a host of newly opened eateries, Hyogo prefectural government data shows a significant increase in the number of accommodation sites since 2020, including 40 in Awaji alone.

Hotels and rental spaces are also popping up in the island’s two other cities of Sumoto in the center and Minami-Awaji to the south.

Many lodging facilities rent out their entire buildings to a single group, and dogs are often allowed as well.

Instead of regular campsites, more glamping domes are being built.

All of this is infinitely closer compared to a trip to Hawaii or even Okinawa Prefecture.

Linked with the Honshu mainland of Japan by the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, Awajishima is a 40- to 90-minute drive from central Kobe and Osaka.

However, the island getaway isn’t without its problems. This rapid transformation is causing major traffic congestion during holiday periods, such as the late summer Obon festival.

Size-wise, the entire island stretches 50 kilometers north to south and 25 km from east to west. Awajishima does not have a railway service, so the island’s 127,000 residents rely exclusively on driving.

“An influx of visitors has helped revitalize local communities, much to our delight,” said the chief of a neighborhood residents’ association. “But it is now difficult for us to go shopping by car on holidays.”

In response to the traffic jam issue, Pasona Group launched a park-and-ride system last year. Under it, drivers are supposed to park farther away from their destination and rely on buses for the bulk of their commute.

A Happy Pancake has doubled its parking capacity in hopes that diners’ vehicles waiting for spots to open will not hinder traffic.

Perhaps the biggest problem is that Prefectural Road No. 31, which serves as the main highway along the West Coast, only has a single lane on each side.

The Sumoto engineering office of Hyogo Prefecture stated that it is unrealistic to add a lane or a bypass to Prefectural Road No. 31, because the route is sandwiched between ocean and mountain.

As a local leader who has welcomed the tourism boom, Kado has pledged to work toward easing the traffic congestion that has accompanied it.

“I have already received complaints from citizens,” he said. “Working with the prefectural government and business operators, we will be beefing up countermeasures from now.”