Akashi Kaikyo Bridge near Kobe

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Facts & Figures

The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, also called the Pearl Bridge, has a total length of 3911 meters and 3 spans. It is one of the world's longest suspension bridges. The height of the two main supporting bridge towers are unbelievable 297,30 meters, which makes it also one of the tallest in the world. In addition, engineers put 20 tuned mass dampers (TMDs) in each tower, which sway against the wind direction. The length of the central span is 1991 meters and the other two have a length of 960 meters each. It connects the city of Kobe in the Hyogo Prefecture with Iwaya on Awaji Island (Awaji-shima), a very popular tourist destination. The whole structure was planned in a way to withstand strong earthquakes of magnitude 8.5, huge waves, and wind speeds of up to 80 meters per second. It can expand and contract in a range of 2 meters a day. To make this happen it required lots of new technologies. Experience the Ultimate Japanese Hospitality at a Kobe Ryokan.
 Find Your Perfect Ryokan Now > The total length of the steel cables used for the bridge is reaching 300000 kilometers. One more number the structure has the handle a weight of 120000 metric tons. The bridge is crossing on its way to the other side the Akashi Strait (Akashi Kaikyo). The strait is one of the busiest sea lanes with more than 1400 ships passing per day. The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is part of three expressways that connect the main island of Honshu with Shikoku. The six-lane expressway is called the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway. The other two are the Seto-Chuo Expressway (Seto Ohashi) and the Nishiseto Expressway (Shimanami Kaido). On average 23,000 cars cross the bridge per day. There is no train track on the bridge. The illumination of the bridge with more than 1700 lights at night is really beautiful. Each light consists of three lamps in RGB color. Twenty-eight different light patterns are used throughout the year. My tip: To get up close to the bridge use the elevator from the base to the 8th floor and here you can access the Maiko Marine Promenade 47 meters above Osaka Bay for a nice walk. And do not forget to buy the official mascot of the bridge called Wataru.

• Akashi Kaikyo Bridge Exhibition Center:
• Opening Hours - 9:30 am to 5:00 pm - closed on Mondays
• Admission Fee - 200 yen (Adults)

• Maiko Marine Promenade:
• Opening Hours - 9:00 am to 6:00 pm - last entry 5:30 pm, summer holidays + Golden Week till 7:00 pm - last entry 6:30 pm
• Closed - second Monday of each month (October to March), and on December (29th - 31st)
• Admission Fee - 240 yen (Adults)

• "Bridge World" - climb to the top of the bridge:
• Start - 9:30 am app. 2,5 hrs (Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun and national holiday)
• Start - 1:30 pm app. 2,5 hrs (Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun and national holiday)
• Closed - no tours from December until March
• Admission Fee - 3000 yen (Adults), 1500 yen (Children aged 13-15), advanced reservations necessary

My tips for local activities

Discover the best of Awaji Island on a day tour. Admire the colorful flower at Hyogo Prefectural Park, enjoy a delicious yakiniku for lunch, and take the sunset views at Happy Pancake Awajishima Cafe. For more details check out this page > by our partner GetYourGuide.

History

In 1955 during a heavy storm, two ferries collided on the way to Iwaya, and 168 people were killed. This was the starting point of discussions to build a bridge over the Akashi Strait, which is located between Osaka Bay and Seto Inland Sea. Akashi Strait has a width of approximately 4km and a maximum depth of 110 meters. The construction of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge started in 1988 and involved more than 100 contractors. It took 10 years until 1998 with a price tag of approximately USD 3.6 billion to finish this engineering masterpiece. The well-known civil engineer Satoshi Kashima was the lead designer of the project. During more than half of the construction phase, a large earthquake (the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995) happened, which did no damage to the structure. Only the two main towers moved through this force one meter farther apart. It was a testament to the engineering skills of Japanese construction companies. Through an intense maintenance schedule, the bridge will last at least 200 years.

Sightseeing spots

Top:

Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge Exhibition Center - The center can be found at the foot of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge (Kobe side). It offers in great detail information (only in Japanese) about the construction process of this man-made wonder.

Maiko Marine Promenade - The 317-meter-long path under the bridge offers amazing views of Osaka Bay, Akashi Strait, and interior design. You walk here 47 meters above the ocean. Some parts of the path have a glass floor and the view can be a bit scary. There is an observation lounge in the center and a nice restaurant.

Bridge World package tour - It is a guided two-and-a-half-hour long tour to reach the top (300 meters above sea level, 98th floor) of the bridge via maintenance accessways and elevators. The 360-degree view is spectacular and very popular with locals and tourists.

Festival & Events (dates can change without notice)

whole year

Illuminating of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge
Enjoy this colorful spectacle from dusk till midnight. The illumination patterns are changing during the season.