Seto Ohashi Memorial Park Take in the scale of the bridge from the seaside park on a spring morning

I reached the west car park by the sea and pulled out the bag of snacks I’d brought. I was just about to step away from the car and take a break when the bridge stretching across the water caught my eye. My hand stopped before I could open the bag. Its lines seemed to reach high into the sky.

My friend got out too and looked up, saying, “It looks huge from down here.” When you’re driving across the bridge, you can’t take in the whole thing like this. Seeing the sea and the bridge together, it suddenly struck me that there was a road running right over the water. Still holding the snack bag in both hands, I followed the bridge to its far end with my eyes.

The sea breeze slipped into the sleeves of my light purple jacket. I was glad I’d brought it to wear over my white blouse. My friend and I walked from the car park into the park. After looking up at the huge bridge, I started noticing the nearby lawn and fountain, too. I’d heard this park was developed on the site of the expo held when the bridge was built.

After choosing a spot to take a break, I finally opened the bag. Inside were snacks made from fried Sanuki udon. I took a bite and heard a crisp crunch. “Udon makes a pretty good snack, doesn’t it?” my friend said with a laugh. I picked up another and thought again about how huge the bridge had looked from below.

I put the empty snack bag away and walked towards the sea again. I thought I’d only stopped here on my way somewhere farther afield, but now I felt as if I’d come just to see the bridge. Next time, I’d like to visit the memorial hall and find out how the bridge was built, too. I told my friend, then decided to stay in the park a little longer on that spring morning.