Utazu Seaside Park
Utazu Seaside Park is located in the northern part of the town of Utazu, facing the Seto Inland Sea. The town flourished as a center of salt manufacturing from the eighteenth century onward, becoming one of the top producers in Japan. The industry was shut down in 1972, and Utazu Seaside Park opened on the former site of the salt evaporation ponds in 1989. Utazu’s history of salt production is commemorated in one part of the park, where a salt field has been reconstructed to remind visitors of the place’s past. Other sites of interest include the Utazu Umihotaru building, housing a cafe and a spacious playground for children. A recent addition to the park is the Shikoku Aquarium, which opened in 2020 and features displays focused on marine life in the seas around Shikoku. Utazu Seaside Park is also famous for its views of the island-dotted Inland Sea. Off the coast lie the Shiwaku Islands, including Ushijima and Honjima, beside which the imposing Seto Ohashi Bridge stretches toward Okayama on the Honshu side. Many visitors come to admire this landscape in the evening, both to see the sun set into the sea and to watch the bridge lit up after dark.