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KOJIMA AND SETO-OHASHI |
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Twenty-five kilometres south of Okayama, KOJIMA , with its sprawling
shopping centres and newly laid roads, has boomed since the opening in
1988 of the nearby 12.3-kilometre-long Seto-Ohashi , a series of six
bridges and four viaducts hopping from island to island, across the
Inland Sea to Shikoku. One of the most memorable ways to view this
engineering wonder is to take an hour-long boat tour (daily: March-Nov
9am-4pm; Jan, Feb & Dec 10am-2pm; ¥1550) from the sightseeing pier
immediately to the east of Kojima Station. The boats depart on the hour,
except at noon.
If you'd prefer to view the Seto-Ohashi and islands from dry land, head
4km south of Kojima to Washu-zan , a 134-metre-high hill jutting out
into the Inland Sea. Regular buses run to the lookout point, from
outside both Kojima and Kurashiki stations. Stay on the bus past Washu-zan
Highland, a tacky amusement park, and get off at the car park by the
official lookout spot. From here you can climb to Washu-zan's summit and
take in what has to be one of Japan's most glorious panoramas.
Back in Kojima, the Bridge Museum (Tues-Sun 9am-5pm; ¥210), a ten-minute
walk west of the train station, is a wacky attraction, well worth a look
if you have the time. You can actually walk over the arched museum
building, inspired by a taiko-bashi (drum bridge), and enjoy a small
park containing eleven amusing mini-bridges and a chessboard square
decorated with bizarre silver statues (supposedly symbolizing the
seasons) and a model of Stephenson's Rocket . Inside the museum, which
displays scale models of bridges from around the world, the eye is drawn
immediately to the roof, painted with a lively mural of Edo-era
travelling performers, craftsmen, merchants and priests. Nowhere near as
unique is Nozaki House (Tues-Sun 9am-4.30pm; ¥500), the handsomely kept
mansion of salt tycoon Nozaki Buzaemon. Five minutes' walk northwest of
the Bridge Museum, the house dates from the 1830s and includes three
picturesque storehouses, identical to those found in Kurashiki.
At the tourist office (daily 9am-6pm; tel 086/472-1289) in Kojima
Station, the friendly assistant speaks English and can provide you with
an English map and booklet on the area. The best place to stay in the
area is at the Washu-zan Youth Hostel (tel & fax 086/479-9280; under
¥3000), which has bunk-bed dorms and good food as well as impressive
views of the Seto-Ohashi and the Inland Sea from its location at the tip
of a promontory. It takes twenty minutes to reach the hostel on one of
the frequent buses leaving for Washu-zan from platform 2 outside Kojima
Station.
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