This observation deck at the Shikoku end of the Shimanami Kaido offers a 360-degree view of the Kurushima Straits and its enormous suspension bridge, the turbulent waters of the Seto Inland Sea and its islands, the city of Imabari, and the mountains of Shikoku. There’s a good chance that you’ll see some of the local birdlife too such as red kites and herons.

There are actually two viewing platforms, the Kurushima Straits Observatory located at a slightly lower level than the deck of the bridge. Here there’s a car park, a wide promenade with a fetching statue of a young girl, and a little facility with toilets, a shop, and an interesting museum about the making of the bridge. In Itoyama Park nearby, there’s another viewing platform on top of a hill above the deck of the bridge, which offers a more expansive view.