Looking for a winter drive from Kansai? How about Christmas by the sea on Awaji Island. Carico Resort Awaji, an all-inclusive resort in Minamiawaji, Hyogo Prefecture, will hold a Christmas event from Tuesday, December 1 to Friday, December 25, 2026, with a giant tree, a diorama, illuminations and a big prize draw. Last winter the event was featured on a TV program about winter spots in the Kyoto–Osaka–Kobe area.
A big tree with 150+ HERMES charms and a diorama with running trains
The symbol of the resort’s Christmas is the “HERMES Big Tree & Big Diorama.” The giant tree is decorated with more than 150 HERMES charms, alongside colorful ornaments.
Next to it stands a large G-gauge diorama, where a train runs through a finely made townscape. The resort says it is a sight that adults and children alike will find hard to look away from. With small children, you may well find yourself lingering at both the tree and the trains.
Note: photos are from last year.
After dark, illuminations light up spots around the grounds, from 17:30 to 21:00. With the seaside scenery wrapped in light, arriving in the late afternoon and staying into the evening looks like a good plan.
A no-lose prize draw: HERMES pouch, Dyson products and more
During the Christmas period, a “no-lose prize draw” is open not only to glamping guests but to everyone using the resort’s services.
- 1st prize: HERMES pouch
- 2nd prize: HERMES scarf
- 3rd prize: Dyson hair dryer or vacuum cleaner
For every ¥500 spent at the resort on shopping or dining, you receive one draw ticket (hojo-ken); four tickets (¥2,000 spent) give you one draw. Tickets are handed out from Sunday, November 1, and the draw runs from Tuesday, December 1. From December 1, glamping guests also receive four draw tickets per person.
Sea-view rooms and free-to-use baths
Carico Resort Awaji sits on the Seto Inland Sea. Choose from dome tents with a transparent ceiling for stargazing, cottages with private bathroom and toilet, or a luxury villa. The Kariko-no-Yu bath facility (large bath, bedrock spa and sauna), the fitness room and activities such as table tennis, darts and billiards are available at no extra charge.
There are also rooms where you can stay with your dog, one of the largest dog runs in Kansai divided by breed, a café with a dog menu and a pet salon offering short-term care.
Winter dinners include BBQ and hot pot made with the resort’s house-aged Awaji beef, “Carico Aged Beef Kiwami,” as well as course meals using seasonal Awaji ingredients such as three-year-old Awaji tiger puffer (fugu) and abalone.
Event information
- Dates: Tuesday, December 1 – Friday, December 25, 2026
- Illumination hours: 17:30–21:00
- Draw ticket distribution: Sunday, November 1 – Friday, December 25, 2026
- Draw period: Tuesday, December 1 – Friday, December 25, 2026
- How to enter: one draw per four tickets (¥2,000 spent at the resort)
- Draw venue and hours: Galaxy Hall. Sunday–Thursday 11:00–19:00; Friday and Saturday 11:00–20:00
- Venue: Carico Resort Awaji (1475-9 Tsui, Minamiawaji, Hyogo)
- By car: take the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway across the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge and exit at Seidan-Mihara IC
- Website (Japanese): https://www.minamiawaji-resort.com/
