The is a

suspension bridge A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridges, which lack vertical ...

crossing northern

Tokyo Bay is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan, and spans the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. The Tokyo Bay region is both the most populou ...

between Shibaura Pier and the

Odaiba today is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo. Odaiba was initially built in this area for defensive purposes in the 1850s. Reclaimed land offshore Shinagawa was dramatically expanded duri ...

waterfront development in

Minato, Tokyo is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is also called Minato City in English. It was formed in 1947 as a merger of Akasaka, Azabu and Shiba wards following Tokyo City's transformation into Tokyo Metropolis. The modern Minato ward exhibits t ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

. It is named ''Tōkyō Kō Renrakukyō'' (東京港連絡橋) as the official name in Japanese. It was built by

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (or simply Kawasaki) is a Japanese Public company, public multinational corporation manufacturer of motorcycles, engines, Heavy equipment (construction), heavy equipment, aerospace and Military, defense equipment, rolling stock and ships, headq ...

, with construction starting in 1987 and completed in 1993. The bridge is long with a main span of . Officially called the "

Shuto Expressway is a network of toll expressways in the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is operated and maintained by the . Most routes are grade-separated (elevated roads or tunnels) and central routes have many sharp curves and multi-lane merges that requi ...

No. 11 Daiba Route -

Port of Tokyo The Port of Tokyo is one of the largest Japanese seaports and one of the largest seaports in the Pacific Ocean basin having an annual traffic capacity of around 100 million tonnes of cargo and 4,500,000 twenty-foot equivalent units. The port is a ...

Connector Bridge," the name "Rainbow Bridge" was decided by the public. The towers supporting the bridge are white in color, designed to harmonize with the skyline of central Tokyo seen from Odaiba. There are lamps placed on the wires supporting the bridge, which are illuminated into three different colors, red, white and green every night using solar energy obtained during the day. The bridge can be accessed by foot from Tamachi Station (

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters ar ...

) or

Shibaura-futō Station is a station on the Yurikamome Line in Minato, Tokyo is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is also called Minato City in English. It was formed in 1947 as a merger of Akasaka, Azabu and Shiba wards following Tokyo City's transformation ...

(

Yurikamome , formerly the , is an automated guideway transit service operated by ''Yurikamome, Inc.'', connecting Shimbashi to Toyosu, via the artificial island of Odaiba in Tokyo, Japan, a market in which it competes with the Rinkai Line. The line is na ...

) on the mainland side.

Usage

The Rainbow Bridge carries three transportation lines on two decks. The upper deck carries the

's Daiba Route, while the lower deck carries the

rapid transit system Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...

in the centre, walkways on the outer side, and Tokyo Prefectural Route 482 in-between. Light motorcycles under 50cc are not permitted on either deck or the walkway of the bridge. Motorcycle

pillion A pillion is a secondary pad, cushion, or seat behind the main seat or saddle on a horse, motorcycle, bicycle or moped. A passenger in this seat is said to "ride pillion". The word is derived from the Scottish Gaelic for "little rug", ''pillea ...

passengers are also banned.

Walkway

The bridge has two separate walkways on the north and south sides of the lower deck; the north side offers views of the inner Tokyo harbour and

Tokyo Tower is a communications and observation tower in the Shiba-koen district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, built in 1958. At , it is the second- tallest structure in Japan. The structure is an Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower that is painted white and ...

, while the south side offers views of Tokyo Bay and occasionally

Mount Fuji , or Fugaku, located on the island of Honshū, is the highest mountain in Japan, with a summit elevation of . It is the second-highest volcano located on an island in Asia (after Mount Kerinci on the island of Sumatra), and seventh-highest ...

. The walkways may only be used during certain hours (9 am to 9 pm in the summer; 10 am to 6 pm in the winter, access to the walkways close 30 minutes before closing time.)Tokyo Bureau Of Port and Harbour - Rainbow Bridge
Retrieved October 4, 2015 Bicycles are permitted on the condition that they are pushed (as opposed to riding them).

Panorama

References

External links

Rainbow Bridge
(Metropolitan Expressway Co., Ltd.) * {{Minato, Tokyo Odaiba Bridges completed in 1993 Bridges in Tokyo Suspension bridges in Japan Railway bridges in Japan Buildings and structures in Minato, Tokyo Former toll bridges in Japan 1993 establishments in Japan Road-rail bridges in Japan Double-decker bridges

Usage

Walkway

Panorama

See also

References

External links