Great Seto Bridge ［瀬戸大橋］

Great Seto Bridge

The Great Seto Bridge over the Seto Inland Sea connects Okayama Prefecture on the mainland and Kagawa Prefecture in Shikoku. It is the collective name given to the six bridges that link the islands between the prefectures of Okayama and Kagawa. It took approximately ten years to construct the 9.4-kilometer Great Seto Bridge which was finally opened in 1988. The bridge is made of two levels and the four-lane Seto-Chuo Expressway runs on its upper section while the JR Line runs below it. It is one of the longest bridges in the world that can accommodate both vehicles and trains. Made up of three suspension bridges, two cable-stayed bridges, and one truss bridge, it is indeed magnificent in appearance. Moreover, it is illuminated at night every Saturday and on holidays. How it appears after dark is quite different from what you see during the day. When lit up, the Great Seto Bridge is extremely beautiful and turns into a popular nightscape spot.
The entire bridge can be viewed from the top of Mt. Washu standing at the foot of the bridge on the Okayama side. There also is a rest house in the Second Observatory near the mountaintop from where a great view can also be enjoyed.