Yobuko and the Benten Walkway
Yobuko Bridge Squid shumai and an evening by the sea, beneath the bridge
I came to see Yobuko Bridge, but I ended up lingering longest on the Benten Walkway below it. The sea is so close, and the evening light shimmers on the water. I brought some squid shumai along, and this feels like the perfect place to savour them slowly.
Read the story of my trip to Yobuko Bridge on an August evening, and the scenery I found there.
SummerA summer evening in August
Squid shumai and an evening by the sea, beneath the bridge
At the railing on the Benten Walkway, I opened a small paper box. I lifted one of the squid shumai, its surface covered in short, fine white strips, and the evening light caught it. I brought it to my lips and took a bite. I savoured its soft, fluffy texture, then looked out at the sea and felt I’d found a lovely place to pause.
Above me, Yobuko Bridge’s girders stretched far into the distance. I’d never been this close to the piers where they rise from the water. The same bridge gives a different impression when you drive across it and when you look up at it from below. Beyond the railing, I could see rocks and water, with the sea almost at my feet.
The bridge linking Yobuko and Kabeshima is 728m long and opened in 1989. The Benten Walkway beneath it is 220m long. Holding my box, I took a short break, then decided to walk along the smaller bridge once I’d finished eating. I loved that I could admire the big bridge by walking across the little one.
A sea breeze brushed my bare shoulders above the neckline of my coral-coloured top. “I’m glad we came in the evening,” I told my friend. She looked out at the water too. The light seemed to gather on the waves close by rather than the distant shore, and my gaze kept returning to the same spot. Before I take a photo of the sunset, I want to watch this light for a while.
Yobuko is famous for its live squid sashimi, but squid shumai is a much-loved local speciality too. Today, I brought a box I’d picked up in Yobuko, but it’d make a nice souvenir as well. Every soft bite brought back the joy of being in this seaside town. My friend and I started talking about exploring Kabeshima next time.
I packed the box away and set off along the walkway, its railing curving with the shoreline. A few steps from where I’d stopped, the view of the bridge piers and sea had changed. Next time I drive across the bridge, I want to make time for this walk too. With a trip to Yobuko Bridge, I can enjoy the view from above and below.
The story sections are fiction inspired by this location. For accurate information, please consult official tourism and information websites.
Local specialty
Squid shumai
A soft, fluffy Yobuko speciality made with squid. Ikadoraku on Kabeshima also sells it as a souvenir. Pick some up in town and make it part of your trip.
Highlights
A seaside walk beneath the bridge
From the Benten Walkway, you can look up at Yobuko Bridge’s girders and piers. It was my first time seeing them so close; I loved how the view of the bridge and sea shifted with each step.
Yobuko squid shumai
A soft, fluffy local speciality from Yobuko. Try it as a snack in town, or pick some up as a souvenir.
Two bridges, by the numbers
Yobuko Bridge and the Benten Walkway beneath it
- Total length of Yobuko Bridge
- 728m
- Benten Walkway length
- 220m
Yobuko Bridge connects Yobuko to Kabeshima, and the pedestrian walkway beneath it brings you close to the sea.
Yobuko Bridge, the road bridge, is 728m long; the Benten Walkway beneath it is 220m. You can take in the bridge from above and below.
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