People are flocking to Awaji Island in western Japan to buy cheap onions in the major onion-producing area.

Onion prices are soaring in Japan due to unseasonable weather.

Many tourists are visiting the Uzunooka Onarutokyo memorial hall in Fukura, Minamiawaji City, Hyogo Prefecture.

There, they can take photos with large objects in the shape of onions or play arcade crane games where the user manipulates a joystick to steer a mechanical claw to catch onions.

Shops there are selling four kinds of onions, as well as onion soup and sweets.

One customer said Awaji onions are large and sweet, so she bought about 10 kilograms. She said cheap prices may not necessarily be good for farmers, but as a consumer she hopes prices would go down.

Another woman said she won a bag of onions in a crane game. She says it's very helpful because prices are soaring.

Source: Kyodo