Just across the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, Awaji Island is getting the earliest Christmas in the Kansai region. Awaji Highway Oasis, in Awaji, Hyogo Prefecture, will light a Christmas tree about 9 m tall starting Wednesday, October 28, 2026. It goes up even earlier than last year, ahead of Halloween, and the facility calls it the earliest and one of the largest trees on the island.
The atrium tree of the Oasis Building, now in its 23rd year
The tree has stood in the first-floor atrium of the Oasis Building, the facility’s main hall, every year since 2004, and this is its 23rd. It carries about 10,000 lights and stays lit all day, daytime included, so you can drop by whenever it suits you.
The operator says the chilly mornings and evenings of this season make it the right moment to put the tree up, and it is meant to brighten the start of the winter sightseeing season. You can see it from outside the building as well as from inside. It is designed to be photogenic day or night, and Santa Claus makes an appearance next to it.
The Oasis connects directly to the upper and lower parking areas of Awaji Service Area by a connecting path, so it is an easy break on a drive to or from Kobe and Shikoku. It also suits a family outing.
A November 21 concert by local choirs
To celebrate the tree, a lighting event is planned for Saturday, November 21 from 17:30 (tentative). A ceremony and music will be held in front of the tree, with performances by the Sumoto Boys and Girls Choir, the Minamiawaji City Boys and Girls Choir and Chorus Piacere. The Sumoto and Minamiawaji groups are among the island’s leading children’s choirs. Admission is free. The date and performers have changed from the original announcement, so check the latest information before you go.
Akashi Kaikyo Bridge lights, too
The Oasis stands in Awaji Island Park, a Hyogo prefectural park, overlooking the Akashi Strait. The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge illumination can be enjoyed at the same time as the tree. The complex also has restaurants serving seasonal Awaji ingredients and a shop selling local specialties, so you can spend a whole day there, not just a rest stop.
Parking is free, with room for 51 large tour buses and 560 regular cars. You can also reach it from local roads, and on the way back from the island you can stop by via the Awaji-Kita Smart Interchange.
Event details
- Display period: Wednesday, October 28 – Friday, December 25, 2026 (planned)
- Lighting hours: all day, including daytime
- Location: Atrium, 1F Oasis Building, Awaji Highway Oasis (2674-3 Iwaya Obayashi, Awaji, Hyogo)
- Admission: free
- Size: about 9 m tall, about 10,000 lights
- Lighting event: Saturday, November 21, 2026 from 17:30 (tentative), in front of the tree. Ceremony and music; free to watch
- Access: directly connected to Awaji Service Area on the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway; also reachable via the Awaji-Kita Smart Interchange
- Parking: free
- Phone: 0799-72-0220
- Website (Japanese): https://www.awajishimahighwayoasis.com/
