Ehime · Oshima, ImabariNo.1289★★Open in map →

Kirosan Observatory Park

natureOff the trail — and worth it

A hilltop park at the southern tip of Oshima, looking straight down on the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge. Its observation deck, designed by Kengo Kuma, is buried in the summit so the hill keeps its outline, and the park is free at any hour.

FromImabari Station (JR Yosan Line)
~10 min from Oshima-minami ICRental car or taxi, no bus to the top
Kirosan Observatory Park

Directions ↗

The sweet spot

This is one of the best-known viewpoints on the Shimanami Kaido, so it is not a hidden place. What sorts the visitors is the approach: no bus runs to the top, so it takes a car, a taxi or a long climb on foot. The reward is the angle, the bridge seen from above rather than from the shore.

Where it is

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What to look for — in walking order

The stair into the hilla long flight of steps climbing through a slit cut into the rebuilt summit
The concrete corean open-air concrete structure inside the hill, with stairs and passages leading off in different directions
The summit decka walkway along the top of the hill, laid out like a single stroke of a pen
Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridgethe world's first bridge of three suspension spans in a row, crossing the strait below
Mt Ishizuchi on the horizonthe highest peak in western Japan, visible from the deck on clear days

How to actually get there

JR Imabari Station → rental car or taxi (no bus runs to the summit).
Nishiseto Expressway over the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge → Oshima-minami IC.
Oshima-minami IC → Kirosan Observatory Park car park (mountain road, about 10 min).
Car park → the stair cut into the hill → the deck along the summit.

Rental car or taxi from Imabari: No bus runs to the summit. From JR Imabari Station, go by rental car or taxi onto the Nishiseto Expressway, cross the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge to Oshima and leave at Oshima-minami IC. The city and the district tourism association both put the mountain road from the interchange up to the park at about ten minutes.
Back over the bridge to Imabari: Return the way you came, down to Oshima-minami IC and back across the bridge to Imabari. If you plan to stay for dusk or the night view, settle how you will get down before you go up, since there is no bus from the top.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

Kirosan is a 307.8-metre hill at the southern end of Oshima, the island the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge ties to Imabari. From its summit that bridge strides across the strait below, with small islands and shipping lanes threaded beneath its spans. The view opens all the way round: the strait and the Geiyo islands to the west and north, the Hiuchi Sea to the east, and Imabari's port and town to the south. The observation deck that frames all this is part of the hill rather than something standing on top of it.

How to enjoy it

The park is open 24 hours, every day of the year, and costs nothing, so you can time the visit to the light. Late afternoon into sunset is when the strait changes most, and after dark the lights of Imabari come on below. The bridge itself is lit up only on set nights, so check the dates before planning around it.

Background & history

A local legend tells of a giant turtle that carried a golden image of Kannon out of a seaside cave, and of a temple raised on the summit because of it; a statue of the turtle stands in the park. Partway down the slope is a stone pagoda said to be the grave of Murakami Yoshihiro, a half-legendary leader linked to the Murakami sea lords. Before Kengo Kuma took on the site, its top had been cut flat for an earlier lookout. He built the ridge back up and set the new deck inside it, opening in 1994. In 2017 the view of the strait from here was chosen among the 88 Scenic Spots of Shikoku.

Before you go

Cash: Entry to the park and its car park are both free. There is nothing to pay at the summit; the costs are the rental car or taxi and the tolls on the expressway.
Good to know: Part of the car park is closed for construction from 24 September 2026 until 10 January 2027 (planned), according to the city's page as checked on 1 October 2026. The summit is open to the weather, and haze decides how far the view reaches.
Another way: Coming from the Honshu side, you can leave the expressway at Oshima-kita IC instead; the drive from there is about 15 minutes. Buses from Imabari Station stop at Kameyama, below the mountain, but the walk up from there climbs the whole hill, so a taxi for the last stretch is the realistic choice.
After you get off: Imabari Station is on the Shikoku side of the strait, and the summit is reached by road over the bridge. At the top, the car park is the starting point: from there the stair cut into the hill leads up to the deck.