Awaji Island (area 590 sq. km), administratively part of Hyogo Prefecture, is located in the Inland Sea between Kobe and Tokushima in Shikoku. It is the largest island in the Inland Sea, and was once a separate province.
In southern Awaji is a group of relatively low mountains known as Yuzuriha Sanchi, stretching from Sumoto City to Nandan-cho, about 30 km as the crow flies. Near Sumoto is Mount Kashiwara (569 meters); the highest of them is Mount Yuzuriha (608 meters), which overlooks picturesque Numa Island and the busy Kii Strait.
Mount Yuzuriha, Numa Island and an area of land close to Sumoto form part of the Seto Naikai National Park. I have been to Awaji several times, but never to this area. When I set out from my apartment early one January morning my main purpose was to see the wild daffodils (suisen). It would be a shame, though, not to say something about the rich natural flora close to the suisen areas.