Today I want to introduce “Yumebutai” to you. A place that offers beautiful landscapes and flowers!
Yumebutai (夢舞台) literally means “dream stage” and consists of a conference center, a hotel, a memorial (of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake) and some pretty awesome gardens. It can be easily accessed (more information here). If you’re in Akashi or Kobe, taking a bus from nearby Maiko Sta. is your best bet!
FAVORITE PHOTO #1: Awaji Island, Yumebutai
(*click to enlarge)
I visited Yumebutai in October (2011), so there were a lot of cosmoses which you can also see in the photo. Yumebutai really deserves its name. I felt like I was in a dream world indeed!
Awaji Island (Awaji-shima, 淡路島) where Yumebutai is located is a small island in Hyogo Prefecture. It can easily be reached from Kobe.
The “Akashi Kaikyo Bridge” connects the island to Honshu. The cool thing about the island is that it’s between Honshu and Shikoku. If you pass through the island you’ll hit Naruto City in Tokushima Prefecture which is on Shikoku! I plan to drive from Honshu to Shikoku passing through Awaji one day. (I almost did in 2014!)
Have you ever been to Yumebutai or Awaji Island?
Or, would you like to visit?
Thanks for reading! 
Ah that’s beautiful!
I’ve been to the bridge, if only I knew I was so close to a dream place…
Looking forward to the next one.
Aww, that’s too bad, but I’m sure you’ll get another chance! :thumbup:
Beautiful photo!
I have actually “driven” [in a bus] through Awaji Island on my way from Kobe to Takushima last April. Unfortunately, the weather was awful, and I saw absolutely nothing… かんしいですね！
I was lucky (for once) and blessed with absolutely awesome weather that day.
I also looked up bus times to get to the castle(s), but it was just impossible to do in less than a day.
I think it is a great idea for a series and looking forward to it. A great start and very beautiful. I’ve seen the bridge before but have yet to cross it into Shikoku.
Thank you very much for your comment. I’m glad you seem to like it!
Thank you for your lovely words on my blog! I like yours too and it’s so amasing that you’re travelling in Japan for so long!! Your photography looks like out of a fairytale… must be those colorful flowers.. Do you have a link button? I would like to add zooming japan to my blogroll! Feel free to do the same, if you like mine :)
Thanks so much! Glad you like it! :music2:
I definitely will add yours the next time I update my link section!! :kyah:
ok, don’t mind my question, I just found your link buttons ;)
I stumbled upon Yumebutai almost by chance. We wanted to visit the Water Temple on Awaji-shima (my travel companion was a big architecture fan and this temple was designed by Ando Tadao). The taxi driver told us that the temple was closed that day, and dropped us off at the hotel, and we visited Yumebutail that day (which was also designed by Ando Tadao!). It was just one amazing discovery after another, from the gardens, all the structures and beautiful places with the serious and pure concrete and the gardens interlaced… the botanical garden (in a building)… the giant square steps… and finally the beautiful modern concrete wedding chapel. There was a fine mist all throughout our visit, we basically had the place to ourself. Definitely a magical moment in our trip.
I’m glad you found Yumebutai and liked it so much! I was also very impressed. Tadao Ando is a genius! :D
I will definitely visit Awaji Island again as I still need to check out Sumoto Castle, so I might as well re-visit Yumebutai. :)