Eshima Ohashi Bridge

Eshima Ohashi is a massive bridge with a total length of 1,446.2 meters and a height of 45 meters. It connects Sakaiminato (Tottori Prefecture) and Eshima Island, which belongs to Matsue City in Shimane Prefecture, and it was designed so that 5,000-ton-class vessels can pass beneath it. The bridge is also known by the nickname “Betafumi-zaka” (roughly, “pedal-to-the-metal slope”) because, from certain angles, it looks so steep that drivers would need to floor the accelerator to climb it—an image that became nationally famous after an automobile commercial. Although it can look like a 45-degree incline in photos, the entire bridge is not uniformly steep; outside the well-known “betafumi” photo spot, the grade is actually quite gentle, and you can enjoy the scenery thanks to the bridge’s height. The key “betafumi” viewpoint is said to be around the 3 km point from the bridge entrance, on the west edge of Daikonjima; from a levee located about 2–3 km away (past the median area), you can capture the dramatic “betafumi” look. Without knowing the right spot, you might cross it and think, “It wasn’t that intense,” so it’s worth researching in advance. Access: about 10 minutes by car from JR Sakai Line “Sakaiminato Station,” about 45 minutes by car from Yonago IC (Yonago Expressway), and about 10 minutes by car from Yonago Kitaro Airport.