The Awaji Yumebutai Greenhouse, also known as Awaji Greenhouse, is an indoor botanical garden located within the Awaji Yumebutai complex in Awaji City, Hyogo Prefecture. Formerly known as Kiseki no Hoshi Botanical Museum, the facility was renamed Awaji Greenhouse and reopened after renovations on September 18, 2021. It offers visitors an opportunity to discover an extraordinary variety of plants from around the world in a spacious, living botanical environment.
Awaji Greenhouse brings together rare, unusual, and colorful plants from diverse climates and regions. Its impressive interior features a vast space reaching approximately 20 meters in height, allowing plants to be displayed on a dramatic scale. The greenhouse offers an engaging experience for visitors of all ages, combining botanical education with striking visual displays.
One of its main attractions is the enormous Garden Castle, a distinctive structure that visitors can walk through and admire from different perspectives. Another highlight is the Jurassic Tree, a remarkable plant group associated with an ancient lineage dating back approximately 200 million years. These exceptional displays make the greenhouse a memorable destination for anyone interested in the natural world.
The greenhouse provides comfortable facilities for families, including a children’s play area and a relaxation space with a reading corner stocked with picture books and plant encyclopedias. A café serves sweets made with ingredients such as seaweed salt and lemons produced on Awaji Island, offering visitors a taste of local flavors during their visit.
A dedicated baby-care room is also available, making the facility convenient for families with young children. As the entire botanical collection is housed indoors, Awaji Greenhouse is an enjoyable destination even on rainy days or when the weather is too hot for extended outdoor sightseeing.
This exhibition features succulents adapted to arid environments, including cacti and plants from the genus Euphorbia. Their unusual shapes, textures, and striking silhouettes resemble natural sculptures, demonstrating how plants adapt to challenging growing conditions.
Plants from tropical and subtropical regions fill this space with vivid colors and lush greenery. Visitors can appreciate the remarkable variety of leaf shapes, flowers, and other botanical features while experiencing the visual richness of these warm-climate environments.
Plants do much more than maintain the balance of natural ecosystems. They also enrich daily life by creating comfortable, calming environments. This exhibition introduces plants closely connected with human lifestyles and explores their role in the spaces where people live and work.
One of the highlights is the Jurassic Tree, a remarkable conifer from a lineage once believed to be known only through fossils. Living specimens of this ancient plant were discovered in Australia in the 1990s, attracting worldwide attention. The exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the long history of plant evolution and the survival of ancient species into the modern era.
This lively exhibition area features the iconic Garden Castle and a festive garden filled with flowers and greenery. Designed to appeal to children and adults alike, it encourages families to explore plants in an interactive and enjoyable setting.
Shade Garden: This area showcases plants that thrive in low-light conditions, including species suitable for indoor landscaping and interior green spaces.
Terrace: The terrace features tropical plants, including the beauty-leaf pandanus, along with tropical fruit trees. It also provides a pleasant place to relax and enjoy the surrounding greenery.
Atrium: The landscaped atrium incorporates flowing water and displays trees native to regions including Okinawa, Yunnan Province in China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Its combination of water, plants, and tropical scenery creates a refreshing atmosphere.
Special Exhibition Room: This space presents unusual plants from Yunnan Province and rare botanical species that have influenced flower culture around the world. The exhibits offer further insight into the diversity of plant life and its cultural significance.
The greenhouse was completed in 2000 and designed by renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Tomoko Tsujimoto was responsible for the exhibition’s overall planning, landscaping, and planting design, bringing together architectural vision and botanical expertise.
Located at 4 Yumebutai, Higashiura, Awaji City, Hyogo Prefecture, the greenhouse forms part of the larger Awaji Yumebutai development. Its spacious interior and carefully designed exhibition areas provide an architectural setting that enhances the beauty and diversity of the plants on display.
Awaji Greenhouse is generally open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with last admission at 5:30 p.m. Regular closing days fall on the second Thursday of July and November. Visitors should check the official website for any changes to opening hours or holiday schedules before traveling.
From Shin-Kobe Station on the Sanyo Shinkansen, visitors can reach the greenhouse by bus in approximately 60 minutes, traveling via Sannomiya Station and Maiko Station. Get off at the Awaji Yumebutai-mae bus stop, which is just a short walk from the entrance.
The greenhouse is surrounded by several notable attractions within the Awaji Yumebutai complex and the wider area. These include the Hyogo Prefectural Awaji Yumebutai International Conference Center, the hotel and resort facilities of Grand Nikko Awaji, the Hundred-Step Garden (Hyakudan-en), Akashi Kaikyo National Government Park, Hyogo Prefectural Awaji Island Park, and Awaji Highway Oasis.
Combining a visit to Awaji Greenhouse with these nearby destinations makes it easy to enjoy a full day of botanical exploration, landscaped gardens, architecture, and scenic views on Awaji Island.