OkayamaLeisure

Sea Station Shioji (海の駅しおじ)

Flow of the course

Previous stop: Take a breather in a lush green park, relaxing amid Bizen's nature before sunset

About 15 min from the previous stop

About 120 min here

About 15 min to the next stop

Next stop: Watch about 2,500 fireworks light up the Seto Inland Sea night sky and shimmer on the harbor water

About this spot

A direct-sales shop run by the Hinase-cho Fisheries Cooperative, located right across from the fishermen's direct market Gomi Market (五味の市). It's stocked with processed seafood products and local handmade goods, and a convenience store is attached. For the specialty grilled conger eel (焼き穴子), buy rice and they'll turn it into an anago-don (conger eel rice bowl) for you on the spot. On the evening of the fireworks festival, food stalls also line the area around the harbor, so pick up dinner here and claim your viewing spot around the time the Seto Inland Sea turns the color of sunset.

Tips

The JR Hinase Station-front harbor area, where the fireworks are held, gets extremely crowded on the day. Good viewing spots start filling up by around 6:00 p.m., so claim your spot by 6:30 p.m. at the latest. Use the restroom in advance, and also check the location of temporary restrooms around the venue. Bring extra drinks and don't forget heatstroke precautions.