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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; Y1550) 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; Y210), 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; Y500), 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  © 2003 by Rough Guides Ltd. as trustee for its Authors. Published by Rough Guides. All rights reserved. Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd. Buy the book here!
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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 Y3000), 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.
Your Tips For Kojima and Seto-Ohashi
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