The two islands join together in low tide and the rocks appear as if a married couple.

Beloved by locals, twenty-first century’s long and tall suspension bridge represents a wealth of bridge-building technology. In 2008, the Toyoshima Bridge was completed, linking the Akinada and Tobishima Kaido between Honshu and the Okamurajima Island. The gentle scenery of the Seto Inland Sea dotted with small islets is spread between Kamikamagarijima Island and Toyoshima Island. Not only do the steles at the bridge bear the bridge’s name, but also the writing of local middle school children. The bridge was nicknamed "Abi Bridge", after the prefectural bird, which flies over the body of water spanned by the bridge. It is the country’s only twenty-first century maritime suspension bridge. It is the amalgamation of new methods and technology that were freely employed during its construction, which led to advanced suspension bridge-building technology. Because they look like railroad crossing gates, the traffic barricades attract many a curious glance; but they help block passage during severe weather events.

Located on the summit of Mt. Takao on Toyoshima Island. There is a Buddhist statue in the garden, and the observation platform is part of a bell tower. The bell tower has the "Bell of Peace" with "peace" written in many different languages. The trail has trees of all seasons and is fun to explore.

It is located at the summit of Mt. Jumonji on Toyoshima Island. The dome-shaped observation platform has an arch design concept and looks exotic. You can see a 360-degree, panoramic view of the Seto Inland Sea dotted with beautiful islands standing at the top of the 8m lookout. The lookout appeared in an animation that was set in Takehara and this area and offers a memorable scenery.

An uninhabited island located in the south-east of Toyoshima Island, facing Sea surface area where migratory red-throated loons flock to spend winter.

Take the ferry from neck of the Port of Osakishimojima Island. In addition to the shipyard and tangerine groves in the island, Mikado (Mikado) There is such as shrines and burial mounds, island feel the life of old.

Shinsui Park is located immediately next to the Toyoshima Port. In the center of the park is a rest area and you can see locals going hiking in good weather. On the coast side of the park, you can find sculptures of red-throated loons and sea beam, symbols of Toyohama. The view of the Inland Sea you get from this location will calm your soul, and you can enjoy a different view at night when the area is lit up. This wall surface was selected as one of the 87 Night Scenes of Hiroshima Prefecture.

This bridge span a strait where abi fly about. The Toyoshima Strait flows between the islands of Osakishimojima and Toyoshima; with the landscape of the Mikado Island with a fishing harbor townscape in the north, and the Itsuki Island with the reef where abi birds come flying in. The Toyohama Bridge spans this strait and is the second largest truss bridge in Hiroshima Prefecture. The handrails of this bridge feature reliefs of abi (red-throated loons) soaring above the Inland Sea. When viewed from the Bridge Memorial Park, the bridge appears as a lovely form stretching out from the island.

Bridge Memorial Park was built to commemorate the opening of Toyohama Bridge, and the giant jungle gym in the park is a famous spot that has been featured on TV. The view of the Toyoshima Strait from the top of the jungle gym is quite refreshing.

A beach in the Ohama Park in Osakishimojima Island. It is equipped with showers and changing rooms. Many families visit this location during summer vacation. The sea in Toyohama is beautiful and turns emerald green from the sunlight.

Red-throated loons, the prefectural bird of Hiroshima. A traditional fishing method using red-throated loons has been practiced in this region for 300 years. The Abi fly from Siberia to the sea in this area in the winter and you can watch them in the seas near Itsuki Island, south of Toyoshima Island.

The smallest and the only cable-stayed concrete bridge. Heira Bridge is the smallest bridge on the Akinada Tobishima Kaido and connects the islands of Osakishimojima and Hera. While it is short, it is a unique concrete bridge along the Sea Way, close to the water’s surface. It was the first cable-stayed bridge built in Japan. Extending from Heira Island, this cable-stayed bridge lends some variety to the bridge scenery.

An arch bridge along the Akinada Kankitsu Route. The Nakanoseto Bridge is the newest of the three bridges spanning the islands of Osakishimojima and Okamurajima. The completion of this bridge and the ferries in transit between it connected it to the Kankitsu Route. In a style identical to that of the Okamura Bridge, which was completed first, it has form with two arches running along it. As it is a beautiful sight among the many islands in the strait, it is often featured in animated films, etc.

An arch bridge crossing the prefectural border connecting the Akinada Tobishima Kaido.

The Okamura Bridge is Japan’s only agricultural bridge that crosses prefectural borders over the sea. For this reason, there is a line marking prefectural boundaries on the bridge. Osakishimojima Island starts in the city of Kure, Hiroshima, while Okamurajima Island side is in the city of Imabari, in Ehime Prefecture. Its shape and color scheme was carefully considered because it is inside the bounds of the Inland Sea National Park. It can also be viewed as a copy of the Nakanoseto Bridge. From the Bridge Park, one can see all the bridges from Osakishimojima Island to Okamurajima Island all at once.

There are four box-shaped stone coffins at the ancient tomb, which has been converted into a park. Shogatsubana also has the legend of Heike no Ochudo and is a place that makes you think about the prosperity and decline of the Inland Sea region.

Heira Bridge, Nakanoseto Bridge, it is on the south side of Okamura Bridge. On an uninhabited island.

This is part of the Yutaka Uminoeki, which was designated as the first uminoeki in Japan; the shops offers a variety of local souvenirs, as well as courses full of seafood that you can take your time eating and enjoying. There is also lodging and a pier for visitor boats, so you can rent a yacht and go sailing.

Located on the summit of Mt. Ippoji, the highest peak of Osakishimojima Island, which is covered in tangerine orchards. From the lookout, visitors get an incredible view of the arches of the two symbolic bridges, Nakanoseto Bridge and Okamura Bridge, connecting the beautiful islands scattered across the Inland Sea. During tangerine season, you can see the island overflowing with color from the fruits cultivated on the terraced fields.

This lookout offers a great view of the beautiful cape of Kannonzaki—featured in a folk song— and the town of Mitarai on Osakishimojima Island. The lights that come on after the sunset create a romantic mood.

This port town greets you just before the entrance to the Akinada Tobishima Kaido. Once you cross over to Omishima Island, you can drive along the route connected to the Shimanami Kaido.

The "Kyu-Shibaya Jyutaku (the former Shibaya Residence)" was a house built during the Edo period where Tadataka Ino lived while he surveyed the Seto Inland Sea. A portion of the grand construction of this building is depicted in the "Tadataka Ino Mitarai Survey Plan," of which only two remain. The house also served as a place of rest for Hiroshima feudal lords on their visits to the island. After the end of the Edo period, it successively served as a rice wholesale store, a seller of ship fittings, and a hardware store until the 1970s.

A long time ago, it was said that the Empress Jingū washed her hands at the well of the main stream behind the shrine, and thereafter the land was named "Mitarai (the washing of hands)." Afterwards, tenjin (heavenly god) statues were moved to the location during the Meiji period based on a legend that Sugawara no Michizane had also washed his hands at this location during a visit, and the Tenman-gu Shrine was built nearby the well. On these grounds stands a monument to Harukichi Nakamura—a Mitarai-born explorer and the first Japanese person to completa bicycle ride around the world during the Meiji period. In addition, this place is not only famous for the tanka (poem) inscription on the monument to Sugawara no Michizane, but also as a location where Tenjin Sakura cherry blossoms bloom.

The Kaneko-tei (Kaneko residence) served as the backdrop of political machinations at the end of the Edo period. In September of 1867, the Satsuma, Choshu, and Hiroshima feudal domains formed alliance and plotted the overthrow of the Shogunate. Concluded in October, as the armies of Satsuma and Choshu marched towards the capital, the Mitarai Treaty-a treaty which detailed the roles the Choshu and Hiroshima domains Osaka- resulted in Yoshinobu Tokugawa's restoration of imperial rule. And in one fell swoop, a new era was ushered as the Edo period ended.

Wakaebisuya teahouse was a splendid and extravagantly constructed merchant town-house, displaying much financial influence during the Edo period. Its extravagance is evident in its use of Yakushima cedar, which was extremely difficult to procure at the time. It currently serves as an assembly hall, and stands as a historical testament to the prosperity of the distinguished tea houses in Japanese port cities, as well as the many joyful and sorrowful tales that engulfed the entertainment trade of the time.

Mitarai is a major port of the Seto Inland Sea and its port town prospered during the Edo era with ships waiting for favorable winds and tides. Now you can see the traces of its prosperity and the liveliness of those days. Mitarai was registered by the national government as an important preservation district for historic buildings in 1994. The town is comprised of alleyways, large and small, with a collection of buildings that include shops, houses, lodging, and shrines as well as stone walls, covered alleys, and takatoro structures that have been preserved in their original conditions that seem to offer a welcome in a way that is reminiscent of the old times. The scenery is now a valuable image of a port town in the Inland Sea area and has been featured in countless films, TV shows, and anime.

[Notable cultural heritage and historic sites]

Kyushibaya Residence, Wakaebisuya Remains, Tenmangu, Manshuji Stone Wall, Otomeza, Shichicho-ochi Remains, Sumiyoshi Shrine, Mitarai Port Takatoro Structure, Chisagohato

[Other notable sites]

Building cluster of early-Showa era architecture and a location famous for the character Yukari of the Mitarai Port

Established during the Meiji period and said to be the oldest clock shop in the world, this little store continues to receive a stream of orders to repair cherished timepieces and watches from all over Japan and overseas. Through the glass window of this nostalgic shop, one can get a glimpse of the skills honed for breathing renewed life into a variety of clocks and watches. Inside the shop stands an American-made grandfather clock, towering at a height of 2 meters, which continues to tick off the passage of time as it has since the time the store was founded.

The "Otome-za (Virgo) Theater" was built in 1937 at a time when there were no theaters in Mitarai. The then modern theater building attracted much attention, due to the fashionable, contemporary architectural style it was bulit in. After the war, until the late 1950s-early 1960s it was remolded into a much loved movie theater, and after being put through a variety of other uses, was eventually restored to its past glory. The tatami mat seating area inside is open to the public, and the theater is still used as a venue for events. It has also served as a stage for movies and TV dramas.

In an incident known as the "Shichikyo-ochi (exile of the seven nobles)," seven noblemen—including Sanetomi Sanjou who escaped from Kyoto—fled to Choshu during the upheaval of the end of the Edo period. Though five of the nobles had endeavered to return to Kyoto, they stayed at this Mitarai estate on their way to Choshu. The tea house located in the center of the estate is said to be the last Edo period Ueda Soko style tea house in Japan.

The "Manshu-ji Temple" traces its origins to a moment during Taira no Kiyomori’s (a government official) pilgrimage to the capital (Kyoto in that time), when he took shelter in this area during a heavy storm. After praying fervently, it is said that the skies parted to provide clear weather, and he constructed a thatched hut on the spot in gratitude, which then became a temple when an Ekādaśamukha (Eleven-Headed Kannon) was installed by the Buddhist monk Gyoki. The stone wall here was said to have been constructed by Katō Kiyomasa at the time of Hideyoshi Hashiba’s invasion of Shikoku, and is a very rare example of distinct stone masonry that was characteristic of the Akinadashoto island territories during the Sengoku period. The burial mounds and the very uncommon turtle-shaped gravestones, built for local haiku poets are some of the many worthwhile sights.

The "Daito-ji Temple" is comprised of a two temples: "Toko-ji Temple", the main temple was constructed during the Edo period; and "Ryuho-ji Temple", which used a portion of the Wakaebisuya building to create its main hall during the Meiji period. The main temple hall holds artwork said to have been created by a sculptor from Kyoto, which includes a half-bird heavenly maiden said to reside in the Buddhist paradise, and a transom decorated with a dragon carving.

In Mitarai, you can find several riverside tea houses- which functioned as purveyors of goods for various domains in Western Japan. Currently, the site of this riverside tea house (a house partitioned into three sections) now serves as a location for a café, gallery, and art studio. Models of Japanese-style wooden boats from the Edo period are made at the studio, providing an appropriate place for former shipbuilding artisans to practice their craft.

The entrance to the park is past Mitarai to the south. From the lookout, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the Kurushima Channel to Shikoku across the town, the arched bridge, and beautiful islands. If you explore the trail along the tangerine orchards, you will eventually arrive back in Mitarai.

The village shrine to Chisagohato was built in 1830 (Bunsei period year 13) by a wealthy Osaka merchant, and constructed in the unique "Sumiyoshi-zukuri" architectural style, of which only few examples can be found nationwide. Courtesans from teahouses, such as the Wakaebisuya in Mitarai, would perform the Sunamochi folk song within the grounds of this reclaimed land. During ceremonies installing deities in the shrine, a procession of courtesans would perform dances such as the dance for the Palace of the Dragon King, bringing a festive air to the construction work being performed on the Sumiyoshi Shrine. A glance at the large number of the professional names of said hostesses and geisha etched into the tamagaki (the decorative fence that surrounds the Shinto shrine) indicates the importance of their contributions.

The "Chisagohato" is a seawall was constructed by the Geishu domain (which included most of today’s Hiroshima Prefecture) using the most advanced technology available at the time, was vital for the Mitarai harbor, and was praised for its peerless stature in the Chugoku region. The "Takatoro (lantern towers)" placed at the ends of the seawall served as lighthouses, and rise to a height of 6.18 meters; standing as modern day testament of the prosperity of those times.