Roadside Station Awaji is located near the northernmost tip of Awaji Island, at the foot of the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge’s gigantic pier, and is combined with Kaisen-kan where you can enjoy fresh seafood, Toretore-kan, which offers a wide range of fresh fruit and veg harvested on Awaji Island, and the restaurant Kaikyo-ro, where you can have both Japanese and Western style dishes while enjoying views of the sea.

It’s a roadside station that boasts a selection of original local gourmet created with Awaji Island specialties such as Awaji onions and Awaji beef.

 

From among those products, yours truly, photo-writer Matsuoka, recommends the following 3!
Best No.1 “Awaji Beef Burger”

A teriyaki hamburger made with a heap of juicy Awaji beef, sliced Awaji onions and fresh lettuce. Excellent.

The area reserved for eating is outside and it feels great to relish the local gourmet while gazing up at the enormous Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge!

Best No. 2 “Ganko Oyaji Tosshan no Tamashi no Dressing” (‘Stubborn Dad Tosshan’s Spirit Salad Dressing’)

Tosshan is the nickname of the roadside station’s famous manager!

 

Developed according to Tosshan’s preference, it’s an original dressing made with plenty of Awaji Island onions.

The soy sauce based dressing has just the right amount of onion flavor. We recommend using it on vegetable based salads and as a topping for seafood rice bowls!
There is a wide variety of carefully selected Awaji Island specialties available at the roadside station’s souvenir shop, and although there are plenty of onion-related products on offer, this dressing is our number one recommendation.

Best No.3 “Ogon Chirimen” (‘Golden Chirimen’)

A well-known specialty made by processing the fry (young Japanese anchovies) caught at Iwaya port near the roadside station into tsukudani (boiled in soy sauce with some other ingredients).

The tidal currents near Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge are fast and abundant with lean fry used for dried sardines; it’s the perfect place for fishing.

The sweet and salty seasoning of Ogon chirimen is exquisite, and as long as you have this as a side dish, you’ll be able to eat your fill of rice!

After enjoying some local gourmet and doing some shopping, do take a walk under Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge! If you gaze up at the world’s longest suspension bridge from below, you will surely be taken aback by its size!

How about a visit to the roadside station located at the entrance of Awaji Island where you can enjoy Awaji Island gourmet while gazing up at the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge??

Roadside Station Awaji

Location: 1873-1 Iwaya, Awaji city, Hyogo prefecture
Open: Souvenir shop 9.0017.30 / Restaurant 11.00-18.00

Holidays: Open everyday (business hours may be longer according to season)
Guide Homepage: http://www.hm.h555.net/~michinoekiawaji/ (Japanese)

Setouchi Finder Photo-writer: Hironobu Matsuoka