The Love for Onions on Awaji Island is unstoppable! Uzuno Oka Onaruto Bridge Memorial Hall

Awaji Island is the largest island in Japan’s Kansai region. Minami-Awaji City, located near Tokushima Prefecture in Shikoku, is a historic area where myths about the birth of the Japanese archipelago are passed down. Last time, we experienced Awaji Ningyo Joruri, a traditional performing art of Minami-Awaji.
▼Click here for the first article

In this second installment, we will report on the attractions of “Uzu no Oka Onaruto Bridge Memorial Hall,” a popular tourist spot in Minami-Awaji, including its gourmet food, souvenirs, and photo spots. After seeing this, you’ll definitely want to visit Awaji Island!

Onion Paradise! Uzuno Oka Onaruto Bridge Memorial Hall

Awaji Island is known as a production area for onions. Located on a hill at the southernmost tip of Awaji Island, Uzu no Oka is a complex where visitors can enjoy Awaji Island’s flavors, such as onions and seafood, and purchase souvenirs to take home.

The biggest attraction of Uzuno Oka is its onion-themed content! Not only does it offer a wide variety of onion-related products, but its various onion-themed projects are also popular on social media.

For example, try the onion catcher! For just 500 yen, you can try five times. Two members of the Kodawari Times staff gave it a try, but both struggled greatly. Even if you don’t catch any onions, you get a bag of onions, so it feels like a good deal. By the way, if you do catch an onion, you can take home a bag of onions plus the onion you caught!
Please give it a try.

▲Onion wig

▲Uzunooka Neon Street Tamaden

In addition, there are plenty of photo spots such as the “Onion Wig,” which allows you to transform into an onion head, and “Uzuno Oka Neon Street Tamaden.”

Among them, the highlight is the giant onion sculpture “Ottamanegi.” It is 2.5 meters high, 2.8 meters in diameter, and weighs about 200 kilograms! Please take a commemorative photo with the Naruto Bridge and Naruto Strait in the background.

▲Giant onion sculpture, Ottamanegi

Recommended souvenirs at Shop Uzunokuni Uzu no Oka Branch

At the Shop Uzunokuni Uzu no Oka Branch on the first floor, you can purchase approximately 800 types of Awaji Island souvenirs. There are over 100 original products available at Shop Uzunokuni! Here are some of our recommendations from among the many products available.

Onion Dressing

The dressing, made with plenty of onions produced in Awaji Island, is perfect as a souvenir. There are various types of dressing available, so you can choose your favorite.

Awaji Island Onion Japanese-style Dressing, blended with Awaji Island onions and whole soybean soy sauce, is a classic dressing that has sold over 1 million bottles.

Other notable offerings include the “Awaji Onion Fresh Dressing,” which is creamy without heating, and the visually striking “Awaji Island Red Onion Dressing” and “Awaji Island White Onion Dressing,” all of which are exclusive to the “Uzu no Kuni.”

▲Awaji Onion Fresh Dressing

▲Awaji Island Red Onion Dressing, Awaji Island White Onion Dressing

I bought fresh onions and wakame seaweed at Uzunooka and ate them in a salad dressed with Awaji onion dressing. The onions were so delicious that I couldn’t stop eating them, and I felt energized!

Onion soup

If you want to enjoy Awaji Island onions, we also recommend onion soup!
We were able to sample both “Awaji Island Onion Soup” and “Ginger and Onion Soup.” Both soups have a comforting flavor that brings out the sweetness and umami of the onions.

I liked the “ginger and onion soup” with its strong ginger flavor! With this, I’ll be able to warm up my body cooled by the air conditioner during the hot summer months!

Retort curry

There is also a wide variety of retort curry made with local specialties such as onions from Awaji Island!
It can be stored for a long time and is compact, so it’s easy to take home as a souvenir.

The most popular item is the Awaji Island Whole Onion Curry, which contains one whole Awaji Island onion. You can enjoy the luxurious sweetness of the onion as you eat. Try some of the more unusual items, such as the Awaji Beef Steak Curry (medium spicy), a high-end retort curry priced at 1,944 yen (tax included) per box, and the Awaji Island Milk Curry (medium spicy), which is made creamy with Awaji Island milk.

Nori

Surrounded by the sea, Awaji Island is also known as a specialty production area for Nori (seaweed). Starting with the popular Oe Nori brand, flavored and roasted seaweed has a delicious flavor and crisp texture.
Uzu no Oka’s exclusive “Uzu Shio Nori” is a simple seaweed seasoned with sea salt and sesame oil. It’s perfect not only as a side dish for rice, but also as a snack or appetizer!

Awaji Island Milk Baumkuchen

There is a wide variety of sweets unique to Awaji Island, such as onion chips and onion crackers. Among the sweets, we recommend the Awaji Island Milk Baumkuchen. This simple and gentle baumkuchen is made with Awaji Island milk, which is loved on Awaji Island, and eggs from the Kitasaka Chicken Farm. The packaging design featuring Awaji Island milk is cute, and it is sure to be a welcome gift. There is also a coffee milk version.

Daruma

There were not only food items but also various miscellaneous goods! The Japanese-style daruma dolls are cute with their round shapes. There are also Awaji Island-style onion patterns and Naruto whirlpool patterns, making them perfect souvenirs to remember your trip.

I introduced some recommended products, but there are so many limited edition items that can only be found here, it’s hard not to want to buy everything! After the interview, I bought some items myself, and ended up spending over 10,000 yen (lol). But that just shows how attractive the products are. Please loosen your purse strings and enjoy shopping here!

Enjoy exquisite cuisine at Spectacular view restaurant Uzu no Oka

Before or after shopping, you can enjoy Awaji Island’s exquisite cuisine at the “Uzu no Oka” restaurant on the second floor, which offers spectacular views.

The interior is spacious, making it easy for large groups of families and friends to gather. The seats by the window offer a spectacular view! Enjoy your meal while gazing out at the Onaruto Bridge and Onaruto Strait in this ideal location.

There were so many dishes made with local ingredients such as seafood and onions from Awaji Island, and they all looked delicious! I couldn’t decide what to order, so I asked the staff for their recommendations.

The “Island Octopus Tataki Chameshi” is also popular on social media. It is made by grilling and pounding the entire leg of an octopus caught in Awaji Island. When you stretch out the octopus leg, it is this long! Cut it into your desired size with scissors and enjoy it with your favorite flavor of Tosa soy sauce, ponzu sauce, or plum sauce.

Despite its thickness, it is soft and easy to eat, and with each bite, the delicious flavor of the octopus spreads throughout your mouth. It makes you feel happy.
Finally, place the octopus on top of rice, pour your favorite sauce and special broth over it, and finish it off with “Takochazuke.” This dish satisfies both your stomach and your heart, allowing you to enjoy octopus in a variety of ways.

For those who want to enjoy Awaji Island octopus in a more luxurious way, we recommend the “Dried island octopus with a straw. Eat the octopus!”, which is limited to 10 servings per day. It is priced at 8,800 yen (for two people) and can be shared.

Next up is the “Whole New Onion Soup,” which lets you enjoy a whole onion from Awaji Island. This soup also features a large onion, giving it a striking appearance. The fresh onion is sweet and soft, and absolutely delicious! The onion soup has a mild flavor that warms you to the core.

Actually, this soup is the onion soup that I recommended earlier as a souvenir. If you like it, you can purchase it at the shop, which is great news.

And for those who want to eat hearty meat and rice, we recommend the “Awaji Beef Roast Beef Bowl.” Awaji beef, a brand beef that Awaji Island is proud of, is characterized by its good meat quality and deep red flavor. The roast beef, which has been slowly cooked, melts in your mouth and goes perfectly with rice.

What’s more, there’s also roasted Awaji onion hidden under the meat. Please try this satisfying dish!

Another recommendation is the “Uzu no Oka Awaji Beef Uni Shabu,” which uses Awaji Island’s famous sea urchin. This is the ultimate in luxury, where Awaji beef is shabu-shabu cooked in sea urchin soup. To finish, rice is added to make a “delicious sea urchin rice porridge.” You can enjoy the rich sea urchin to the very last bite. This is a must-try dish for sea urchin lovers.

Uzu Shio Science Museum also attached

On the first floor, there is also the “Uzu Shio Science Museum,” where you can learn about, play with, and experience whirlpools.
The Naruto Strait, visible from Uzuno-oka, is known for its world-class whirlpools, which can reach up to 30 meters in diameter. The Uzu-netarium, a hydraulic model that explains the mechanism of whirlpools, is a must-see. Here, you can also enjoy “Oni-on♪ Maracas,” one of the Onion Project’s fun activities. Both children and adults can have fun while learning about whirlpools.

In addition, the shop inside the Uzushio Science Museum had a wide variety of rare items, including crafts from Awaji Island.

Approximately 80% of Japan’s production of “Fuki-modoshi (blowout)” comes from Awaji Island. This paper toy stretches out in a straight line when you put it in your mouth and blow, then curls back up. It brings back nostalgic memories of the past.

There are also limited edition onion-shaped coasters made from Awaji tiles. They are very cute.

Awaji Island is also the top producer of incense sticks in Japan. The spiral-shaped incense sticks are beautiful and would make a wonderful souvenir.

I learned that Awaji Island is also an attractive place for its craftsmanship and manufacturing. Many manufacturing factories offer hands-on manufacturing experiences, so if you are interested in Awaji Island’s crafts, please check them out.

Enjoy Awaji Island to the fullest!

The Uzu no Oka Onaruto Bridge Memorial Hall is overflowing with love for Awaji Island onions, and offers visitors the chance to enjoy local flavors and spectacular views of the Naruto Strait. In addition to the items introduced here, there are many other souvenirs and gourmet foods available, so please visit and experience the charms of Awaji Island to the fullest.

Combine this with the Awaji Ningyoza puppet theater introduced in Part 1 and the Naruto Strait whirlpool cruise, a nearby attraction, and you’re sure to fall in love with Awaji Island!
Of course, you can stay on Awaji Island and enjoy it at your leisure, but it’s also within easy day-trip distance from Kobe and Osaka, so be sure to experience Awaji Island in all four seasons!

▼Check the official website for access to Uzuno-oka Onaruto Bridge Memorial Hall.
https://kinen.uzunokuni.com/en/

Uzu no Oka Onaruto Bridge Memorial Hall Details

Address: 936-3 Fukura Hei, Minamiawaji City, Hyogo Prefecture 656-0503
Phone: 0799-52-2888
Business Hours: Shop Uzunokuni Uzu no Oka Branch…9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Spectacular view restaurant Uzu no Oka…10:00 AM to 3:30 PM (Last order at 3:00 PM)
Uzu Shio Science Museum…9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Official Website: https://kinen.uzunokuni.com/en/