Great Seto Bridge (Seto Ohashi) 瀬戸大橋

The world's longest two-tiered bridge system, the Seto Ohashi, is an architectural feat visible from space that took a decade to build. It connects Kurashiki in Okayama Prefecture on Honshu with five islands by both road and rail, ending up in the city of Sakaide on Shikoku .

Besides boasting Japan's denim capital of Kojima, the Kurashiki side of the bridge has the Bikan Historical Quarter , famed for its willow tree-lined canal and lovely Edo period architecture, and the Ohara Museum of Art , which showcases European and Japanese impressionists and neoclassical works. Sakaide is home to museums and two temples on Shikoku's 88-temple pilgrimage.

Get to the area first by shinkansen to Okayama Station, then take regular JR trains to JR Kojima Station.

Take the JR Seto-Ohashi Line from Okayama Station to Kojima Station. To get to the bridge, take the Shimotsui Dentetsu Line Shimotsui Loop Bus from JR Kojima Station, and get off at the Washuzan Second Observatory stop.

Before you cross the bridge, be sure to tour Kurashiki . The Kojima area of the town is the de-facto jeans capital of Japan, with expertly crafted denim on display on its colorful Jeans Street in dozens of storefronts. A bus will take you there from Kurashiki Station.

Kurashiki's canal area is lined with old warehouses and merchant homes converted into inns, shops, bars, restaurants and other outlets. Boatmen punt two small boats along the Kurashiki River during the daytime. The Ohara Museum of Art has pieces by El Greco, Gauguin, and Monet among its collection.

Washuzan is the highland district near the base of the bridge, on the Okayama side. Locally known for its Brazil-themed amusement park, it also has a free observation deck where you can view the bridge and the seascape.

If you happen to drive across the Seto Ohashi or are on a tour that makes stops, visit one of the five islands that act as stepping stones across the Seto Inland Sea.

The other side of the bridge stops in the city of Sakaide, home to the Seto Ohashi Memorial Museum, which tells the history of the construction of the great bridge.

Two temples Shiromine and Tenno on Shikoku's 88-temple pilgrimage are in Sakaide. Both are distinctive and prime spots for a visit at any time of the year.

Art enthusiasts will appreciate the Kagawa Prefectural Higashiyama Kaii Setouchi Art Museum and the thought-provoking work of its namesake. A mainstay of 20th-century art in Japan, Kaii won public recognition and national acclaim for his creations. Besides the permanent display, the museum holds regular themed exhibitions of many of his pieces.

From the cafe on the second floor, you can see an incredible panorama view of Seto Ohashi Bridge looking from Kagawa toward Okayama.