Washuzan Hill

A 133-metre hill at the southern tip of Okayama prefecture with a view that explains the geography of western Japan in one glance. Below is the Seto Inland Sea, scattered with islands to the horizon, and cutting straight across it is the Great Seto Bridge: 13.1 kilometres of steel from Honshu to Shikoku, double-decked with the expressway above and the railway below, opened in 1988 after ten years of construction.

The Inland Sea is the reason the view works. It is shallow, sheltered and full of islands, and from up here the sea lanes are visible as lines of ships threading between them. It has been called one of the finest seascapes in the country since long before the bridge existed, and the bridge did not spoil it.

Sunset is the reason to time your visit. The sun goes down behind the islands to the west, the bridge lights come on, and the whole thing turns into a silhouette. It appears on national lists of best sunsets and the car park fills accordingly on clear evenings.

There are several viewpoints along the ridge and the highest is a short climb from the car park. It is free and always open.

Below the hill, Shimotsui is an old port town of stone quays and wooden buildings that shipped cotton and salt, now quiet and good for lunch on the water. Ten minutes east, Kojima is where Japanese denim began: the first domestic jeans were made here in 1965, and Jeans Street is a row of workshops and shops selling them.

Buses from Kojima station are infrequent. A car makes the whole area far easier.