Must-See Stops from Osaka to Awaji Island via Kobe
hey it’s Maximo and welcome to Maximo’s Travels In this video we’ll be beginning our fiveweek holiday to Japan We start the day off in Osaka and take a regional express train to Kobe We pick up a higher car and head off the beaten path to Awaji Island We’ll drive over one of the world’s longest suspension bridges do our best to work out how to get through the many different toll booths in the Japanese highway system and then go to a huge and interesting service area that has its own huge ferris wheel huge souvenir and gift shop selling so many different goods made from onions something that this area is renowned for We’ll even see an authentic Japanese claw machine filled with onions go on a wild goose chase directed by Google Maps and end up in a dead end Eventually reach the Aaji near Mobile and marvel at its stunning architecture its many different water features and its stunning gardens that covers the side of a huge hill Visit the Buddhist Hump Koji Temple that breaks all architectural rules for Buddhist temples It features a reflective pond a hidden stairwell where you enter the great hall that’s located under the pools and has subdued filtered lighting making it such a mystical and spiritual place Finally we’ll check into our hotel for the evening where we get to experience an absolutely magical sunset Join me as we go off the beaten path and explore areas of Japan few Westerners have visited [Music] After a huge travel day the day before we started off at Chinosaka Station nice and early We were there by 8:00 a.m Our destination was Kobe and Times Car Rental where we were scheduled to pick up our hired car for the week Times car rental was located a 10-minute walk from Sonomia station in Coobe In order to get to Coobe and Sonomia station we boarded on the special rapid express on the Tokaido Sano line Trains on this line depart every 6 minutes and it takes around 27 minutes to get to Shinosaka to Somia station A distance of around about 33 km The cost for this train ride was around about 580 yen or just over six Australian dollars We’ve chosen the Times car rental or car location at Somia Station because of its easy access to Aaji Island our ultimate destination Later that day after an uneventful ride with suitcases in tow we made it to Somia Station We’re currently in Coobe and we’re trying to get to the Times car rental place It does feel like this is a bit of orientering most of the time that we here cuz it’s quite challenging navigating your way around and going up and down elevators with suitcases We’ve successfully found the Times car rental place Yeah I know Come on All right thank goodness Driving in coo We collected our times higher car with a minimum fuss This is one of two high cars that we rented in our holiday in Japan And I will do a separate video outlining our experiences and give you heaps of different tips and tricks in terms of renting a car in Japan in an upcoming video The road network in Japanese cities is absolutely insane And one thing we did underestimate was the traffic You know what Driving in Tokyo is probably not worse than this No I don’t think so Joe was doing the driving And I’ve got to say this is probably the only slightly stressful part of our car rental experience One because of the heavy traffic and secondly the density of the roads You really had to pay close attention to the roadsides and where you were headed And the further from Coobe we got the heavier and denser the traffic seemed to become Oh we do love an adventure don’t we We do We’re driving in Japan like a local Ah stuck in traffic like the locals And thankfully the closer that we got to Aaji Island the lighter the traffic seemed to be First challenge was trying to navigate all the different toll roads The car rental company didn’t supply us with an ATC or electronic ticket So therefore we had to navigate to a cash booth only And once at the booth the very friendly operator did a hell of a lot of talking all in Japanese And we had no idea what he said another highway Do we need more money More money Okay How much 400 [Music] Thank you That’s his land The only word he knows Yeah Thanks for all the rest of the No idea We really had no idea what happened other than we had to pay yet another toll to use the road We paid cash on this occasion but they do accept credit cards The car hire company didn’t supply us with an electronic ticketing tag So therefore we had to use cash or credit card on all the toll roads and there’s quite a few of them in Japan We kept driving and entered a series of a couple of short tunnels According to our satnav we were quite close to the coast and I was quite surprised to go into a very long tunnel And after it seemed like we’d been driving for minutes and minutes we finally emerged back into the light and right on the coast And from the tunnel we emerge into the light and onto one of the longest suspension bridges in the world the Kashi Kaido Bridge When it opened in 1988 it was the world’s longest suspension bridge around 3.9 kilometers or 12,800 ft long It certainly is a feat of engineering It spans the Akashi Channel one of the world’s most turbulent sections of water Huge storms are known to hit this area and the bridge can withstand wind speeds of up to 180 m an hour It’s also built in one of the world’s most active seismic areas And engineers used a system of counterweights pendulums and still trust gliders to allow the bridge to withstand all these different pressures And the bridge has been known to expand and contract up to 2 m or 6 1/2 ft in a single day It’s quite a high bridge as well The pylons reach 283 m above sea level And I’ve got to say this is probably one of the most impressive bridges I’ve ever been on This really isn’t a place for people with the fear of heights although I didn’t have any issues I think because the roadway was quite wide and there was a an quite a wide emergency lane between the left lane and the side of the bridge What I found a bit disconcerning was the apparent flimsiness of those side barriers and the fact that you could see right through them all the way to the depths of the ocean floor below At the apex of the bridge it started raining a bit I don’t think it was so much rain as it was we were so high that we were in the low clouds It was absolutely awe inspiring traveling along this bridge The section that we were on the span measured almost 2 kilometers between one set of pylons and the other We were quite fortunate the day we crossed this bridge because if the winds had picked up the bridge is prone to be closed to all traffic It took us around 3 minutes to cross this bridge and finally we were on the other side and onto Awaji Island Our first stop on Awaji Island was a southbound Aaji service area If you’ve never been to a service area in Japan you really need to do yourself a favor and visit one They’re large busy and interesting places to visit This service area was really impressive It featured a huge car park equally huge ferris wheel fantastic souvenir and gift shop and fantastic views of the Akashi Strait and the Akashi Cakeo Bridge It’s located right beside Route 28 the major freeway running down the spine of Aaji Island We got out of the car and braved the weather It was quite overcast The temperature was only about 12° C around about 54 Fahrenheit and there was a few sprinkles of rain about and it started to rain lightly so we decided to go into the souvenir and gift shop I was actually surprised at just how busy this service area actually was I was equally impressed by the size and the amenities and facilities inside the service area around about half a dozen or so eating areas cafes and fast food outlets as well as plenty of tables and chairs for the patrons to sit down and enjoy a meal or a snack There also quite a few floor to- window ceilings letting in heaps of natural light and sliding doors let out to a very nice prominard The gift store had heaps of different local awajian foods The culture in Japan is that when the Japanese go away on holiday they’re expected to bring back souvenirs and food stuffs for family friends and work colleagues And certainly at this store there was heaps and heaps to choose from The island of Awaji is renowned for its onions The soil here produces exceptionally sweet and flavorful onions Not only can you buy raw onions here but you can buy locally produced savory and even sweet baked goods showcasing the area’s primary crop onions The souvenir shop even had a claw machine where you could try and pick out raw onions Fascinating isn’t it It was still raining lightly outside so we went to the attached Starbucks for a drink and something to eat matcha Had some sort of frappuccino and I’ve got some matching We finished our drinks and left Starbucks By this stage it stopped raining We headed towards a big ferris wheel and was surprised to see that it was operating in inclement weather We didn’t take a ride but proceeded to walk along the prominard to get a better view of the bridge as well as the Akashi straight This is the last glimpse that we got of this mammoth bridge But we did go to another equally impressive bridge the Naruto Bridge on the south end of the island and visited the world famous Naruto whirlpools in a sailing boat That’s going to be an unmissable video So make sure you hit the notify bell to uh get notified when that’s released It was a shame it was quite overcast and the weather wasn’t fantastic but we were destined to get much much better views of the huge bridge to the south in the coming days We were booked to stay in Aaji Island for three nights and we’re really looking forward to exploring the island It does look like there’s a hoverot here at Aaji Island Awaji Island’s around 52 kilometers long and about 26 km wide at its widest point And the other thing to note is there’s no trains that run on the island only buses and cars The only way to get on the island is either by ferry or across the bridge over the straight And because it’s off the beaten path there’s so few Western tourists that visit the island We left the service area and drove on to our next destination That’s an insane interchange Insane We set our satnav for our next destination Awaji Yai This is a sprawling hotel conference center memorial and garden located at about 6 kilometers or 12 minutes away from the service area The first issue we experienced was that the exit booth that we needed to get out of was unmanned and ATC only After a few minutes a staff member did appear and manually took our cash to let us out of the toll road We were using Google Maps because for the life of us we just couldn’t work out how to change the language on the car’s satnav from Japanese to English And for the most part Google Maps is usually pretty good except in Japan We we’re heading further and further away from a large town And we’re growing increasingly worried that uh the satnav was taking us to not where we should be going We did stop and check our coordinates and it looked like we were going to the right place So we decided to uh proceed until well you’ll see what happened We kept following the satnav’s directions and proceeded up a hill and underneath the E28 expressway down increasingly narrow and treacherous roads to a locked gate Our destination was downhill past the locked gate But clearly this wasn’t the right entrance This wasn’t the only time that we’ve been caught out by Google Maps into Japan So let that be a lesson for you So we manually saw where our destination was on a satellite view and pinned it on the map and this time we actually drove there What should have been 12 minutes was more like a 45minute drive We eventually found our way to the huge underground car park of the Yume Bay complex and then eventually found the lift to take us up to the ground floor So this is the water temple Aaji Yumabai It’s the Great Nika Hotel and this is a whole series of water ponds This complex was completed in the year 2000 and designed by architect Toado Ando It’s absolutely brilliant architecture in a concrete minimalistic style There’s extensive use of water and ponds as well as using the natural slope of the land to highlight all the different design elements of the complex The architecture of the observation terrace in particular is stunning and what’s really amazing is that this whole complex is free to enter Coded tours are available at a minimal fee and should be booked a couple of weeks in advance Facilities here are open from 9:30 a.m to 5:00 p p.m in the winter months and to 6:00 p p.m in the summer months Another distinctive feature of this facility is the hikeran gardens which translates to the 100 stepped gardens or a group of 100 flower beds that cascade down the side of the hill that this facility is built on We came in early March and there weren’t that many flowers uh in bloom but I could only imagine how beautiful this would be in the peak of summer Now I’ve got to say the architecture here just doesn’t do it for me It’s quite concrety and brutalist It really is And it’s a real pity we’re not here later in the spring Guess some of the flowers would be absolutely stunning Not only that there’s a fair bit of grass here and it’s really really brown and dry And the grass doesn’t start to green up in parts of Japan until mid to late April This garden is massive and there’s over 1,575 steps and 235 flights of stairs It’s a pity we’re not here in about a month’s time because it would be absolutely spectacular wouldn’t it It would be better Much better Imagine it though You can imagine like the bare dirt would be plants of some sort There’s plants in there They’re just waiting for warmer weather They are And a little bit of sun which I haven’t seen much of today Oh it’s coming out Makes a big difference doesn’t it And while the upper part of the Hikadunion didn’t do it for me architecturally these steeped garden beds certainly did especially with their outstanding views of the ocean in the distance Looked even better when the sun came out We have a little bit of color This place is really like one of those etcher sketchings where everything goes up and down and side to side all at the same time Really is Hello Joe Enjoying the gardens There’s a few flowers A few Oh they’re quite bright Marolds Maragolds Oh there just so many steps here and my legs were burning at the end of this walk up and down these fabulous gardens Now I’m not sure whether it was the time of year but another thing that was quite disappointing was that all the fabulous water features weren’t actually operating A lot of them were closed for maintenance And I can only imagine how fabulous this place would be in the height of summer in full bloom and with all the water features working properly If you’re watching this and experience these fabulous gardens in the summer I’d be interested in seeing your comments of what you thought of this place There just so many steps here Nearly 1,600 of them to be precise Below the garden was a large waterway Unfortunately this was mostly dry as well At the end of the long waterway was the Aaji greenhouse That’s a huge greenhouse All the couple of them Unfortunately it’s closed for maintenance Here’s what it looks like when it is open Yes we didn’t have much luck The greenhouse was closed The water fountains and features weren’t working And it wasn’t peak season for the gardens At least we got to admire the stunning architecture in the forum And we were blessed because the sun came fully out and the sun being out makes such a difference to the videos and photos that I took This facility was built on such a grand scale We finished up at the gardens and then walked around a circular walkway towards the lifts and the car park This place is a maze It’s a huge model of the complex And I do believe that none of the water features were on So when you come and visit I hope you have better luck with both the flowers and some of the water features and fountains and whatnot There are a number of cafes and shops on site Unfortunately this one was closed This place is absolutely massive We kept on walking down and around the outside of the circular forum This was a seafood restaurant that looked like it had been opened for lunch We spent around 2 hours at Awaji Yay Bai but if the flowers are in full bloom the water features on and the greenhouse open I have no doubt we would have spent a lot more time here We we’ve been in this car park for a good 10 minutes just trying to find our way out And we are finding our way out It’s not backtracking It’s It’s all one way Massive It’s just as massive as the whole place isn’t it Straight Yeah Yeah It’s It’s like It is the biggest car park I’ve ever seen And like there’s virtually very few people here Perhaps What’s that say Exit Exit Either one Yeah I think so Maybe the one with the most riding might have some more options Oh yeah Person’s going in the other one Thank goodness doesn’t want to go in There we are And our card in the same spot Yeah maybe Yeah Did it like it on card So it’s saying the same money 600 The following Thursday Oh sugar What I only put in I nearly dropped it All right here we go Yay Success Yeah we’re out We see daylight Woohoo Uh advanced orientering That’s what I call this Several bad puns later So we plugged in our penultimate destination in the satnav the Honukoi water temple For a minute it looked like Google Maps had taken us in the totally wrong direction once again We were traveling uphill along narrow roads and around blind bends I really did think it did uh led us down the garden path once again until I saw the back of the water temple We kept driving and eventually we came to an old Buddhist temple This wasn’t what we were looking for So we kept on driving and found first a small car park and then a much larger car park just around the corner We still had no idea where this water temple actually was We parked our car in the large car park and then proceeded to walk through a cemetery We were looking from modern concrete minimalistic Buddhist temple sunken into the ground This did look like a Buddhist temple but it certainly wasn’t modern We kept walking We eventually came to a set of steps There was an old Buddhist temple below us So we only had one choice and that was to head uphill We passed a small Tory gate and then the modern temple was there suddenly before us This is the entrance to the temple and it looks like it’s probably been designed in the same brutalist style as the uh the place we’ve just came from Probably done by the same architect My suspicion was in fact correct This Buddhist temple had been designed in 1991 by the same architect as the previous location Ando It was designed in the same concrete and minimalistic style as the other building and the grave site was just a bit further on in front of us This temple is probably one of the most unique Buddhist temples in the world There’s a huge reflective pond on top of the main hall and the main hall is reached by climbing down a set of stairs This is really a temple and a place like no other As you walk between the reflecting pools it gets darker and more solemn I think it’s a spiritual place And certainly the journey down into the uh earth gives moment for reflection and contemplation Once you’re at the bottom of the stairs you turn and you’re confronted with the ante room to the main hall You pay a very friendly old lady a $400 yen entrance fee take your shoes off and then step into the great hall It truly is a unique place It’s underground so very very quiet And whilst there’s a small window there’s brilliant filtered light that conveys mystical and spiritual properties We’re at the Hon Pugji Water Temple It was so tranquil down there but uh a little bit hard to get to because um you’ve got to walk through an old temple in order to get through to this temple which is much higher on the hill If you were to follow the path past the old temple up to the new temple this is a view that you’d expect to see We decided to follow the path down to the old temple the old temple didn’t appear to be open So that sign basically says this is the entrance to the water temple and it’s just beside the old temple and you need to walk past it and then at the blue sign at the top hang a left and it’s few hundred meters and you’re there So that’s the road that you drive up What we did is we kept going up there and up a very steep hill But what you need to do is look out for this sign here and that says parking for the water temple And that’s the car park up there So as soon as you see this stone wall coming from that road you hang a right and there’s a car park It’s easy once you know We then drove to our final destination the Grand Mure Aaji a distance of around 58 kilometers and about 3/4 of an hour drive We were staying here for three nights plenty of time to let us explore the rest of Aaji Island We checked in with a minimum of fuss and made it to our room just in time to see the most spectacular sunset The weather had cleared up and our hotel room had spectacular views of the Wakayyama Bay and O Naritu Bridge If you’re interested in staying at the Mccure I’ll do a full review of this hotel shortly The views here were just absolutely fantastic We even missed out on the first half of happy hour I do hope you’ve liked this video If so please consider hitting that like and subscribe button Hit that notify bell so you’ll never miss another upcoming video If you’d like to support my channel please consider buying me a coffee or hit that super thanks button Until next time you take care and bye now [Music]
This is the start of our 5 week trip to Japan!
We start off in Osaka and take a regional train to Kobe. In Kobe we pick up a hire car and travel via the impressive Akashi-Kaikyo Suspension Bridge to Awaji Island. Its a remote island in Japan where few western tourists venture, given its lack of a rail network.
The first stop is a huge Roadside Station, where we see onions – many onions in different forms.
After a Google Maps inspired wild goose chase we check out the amazing architecture of the brutalist inspired Awaji Yumebutai and its garden – The Hyakudanen – “hundred stepped gardens”, and its 100 flower beds.
Our last stop was the equally impressive and tranquil Honpukuji Water Temple.
A long drive and we made it to our Hotel for the next 3 nights, Grand Mercure Awaji Island Resort & Spa.
What a great start to out trip!.
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Links:
– https://www.instagram.com/visitjapanau/
– Awaji Service Area For Sumuto (Southbound)
– https://www.instagram.com/awaji_yumebutai/
– https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/491/
– https://www.instagram.com/grandmercure_awajiisland/
– https://www.instagram.com/all.accor/
– https://www.instagram.com/accor/
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:55 Details
02:46 Osaka
03:03 Kobe
03:42 Drive to Awaji Island Via the Suspension Bridge
09:08 Awaji Service Area For Sumuto (Southbound)
13:15 Getting Lost on the Way to Awaji Yumebutai
14:51 Awaji Yumebutai
23:31 Honpukuji Water Temple
28:21 Grand Mercure Awaji
29:07 Summary & Outro
AloJapan.com