Hyogo · Kobe / Tarumi-ku (Maiko)No.185★★★Open in map →
Akashi Kaikyo Bridge
The world's longest suspension bridge, spanning 3,911 metres across the Akashi Strait between Kobe and Awaji Island. From the Maiko side in Kobe, the Maiko Marine Promenade — a 317-metre walkway inside the bridge girder at 47 metres above the sea — lets visitors experience the span from within.
The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge stretches across the Akashi Strait, the busy shipping lane between Honshu and Awaji Island, at a total length of 3,911 metres. Its central span of 1,991 metres is the longest of any suspension bridge in the world. Opened on 5 April 1998 after ten years of construction, the bridge carries the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway and links the mainland to Shikoku via Awaji Island. The nickname Pearl Bridge comes from its appearance under illumination at night. One of the engineering complications of its construction was that the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake struck during the build, shifting the two main towers 1 metre further apart and requiring a last-stage redesign. The Maiko Marine Promenade, on the Kobe side, is a glassed-in walkway built into the bridge girder itself, giving a direct view of the strait and the strait's constant ship traffic from 47 metres above the water.
Background & history
Construction of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge began in 1988. Linking the mainland to Awaji Island and on to Shikoku had been a goal of Japanese infrastructure planning since the 1950s. The central span of 1,991 metres broke all existing records for suspension bridges when the bridge opened in 1998 and has not been surpassed. The Bridge World tour — a guided walk to the top of one of the towers, around 300 metres above sea level — runs in limited seasons and requires advance reservation through the bridge operator JB Honshi.
What to look for — in walking order
- Maiko Marine Promenade (bridge walkway)
- 317-metre enclosed walkway built into the bridge girder, 47 metres above the Akashi Strait, with views of ship traffic below
- Bridge Exhibition Center (Maiko)
- an exhibition on the bridge's engineering and construction, including a 1:100 scale model, near the Kobe anchorage
- Bridge World tower-top tour
- seasonal guided ascent to the top of a main tower (~300 m); advance booking required via JB Honshi (jb-honshi.co.jp)
- Night illumination
- the bridge is lit with an LED system; the full span is visible from Maiko Park and the waterfront promenade
How to enjoy it
A visit naturally pairs the Maiko Marine Promenade with the Bridge Exhibition Center, which together take 1–2 hours. The Bridge World tower-top tour is a different experience entirely — check the season schedule and book well in advance as capacity is limited. Clear weather is needed to see the Awaji Island shore and the strait traffic clearly from the promenade.
How to actually get there
- Sannomiya Station → Maiko Station (JR San'yo Main Line local, ~25 min, ~¥320).
- Maiko Station → Maiko Marine Promenade entrance / Bridge Exhibition Center (walk downhill ~5–10 min).
- Maiko Marine Promenade (317 m inside the bridge girder, 47 m above the strait) → Bridge Exhibition Center (~1–2 hr total).
- Sannomiya Stn →(JR San'yo Main Line)→ Maiko Stn
- From Sannomiya Station (central Kobe), take the JR San'yo Main Line local train toward Himeji (or Akashi). Ride to Maiko Station — approximately 25 minutes, fare around ¥320. Only local trains stop at Maiko (rapid and special rapid services do not stop there). Trains run frequently in the daytime. From Maiko Station, the Maiko Marine Promenade entrance and the Bridge Exhibition Center are a 5–10 minute walk downhill to the waterfront.
- Return from Maiko Station the same way
- Take the JR San'yo Main Line from Maiko Station back toward Sannomiya. Local trains are frequent. Alternatively, from Maiko Park you can take the San'yo Electric Railway from Maiko-Koen Station back toward Sannomiya (Sanyo Dentetsu; Hankyu/Hanshin connected).
Before you go
- Cash
- IC cards (ICOCA, Suica) work on the JR line. The Maiko Marine Promenade charges a separate admission (check the official Hyogo Maiko Park site for current fee). The Bridge World tower tour is booked and paid separately through JB Honshi.
- Closing days
- The Maiko Marine Promenade opening hours vary by season; confirm in advance at the Hyogo Maiko Park website. The Bridge World tower-top tour runs only in spring and summer (typically late April–September); it closes in bad weather and requires advance booking.
- Another way
- From Osaka, take the Hanshin Main Line to Sannomiya (about 30 min from Umeda), then the JR San'yo Line to Maiko (about 25 min). Or take the Sanyo Electric Railway directly from Osaka-Namba / Sannomiya to Maiko-Koen Station, a short walk from the promenade.
- After you get off
- From Maiko Station (JR), walk downhill for about 5–10 minutes toward the sea; follow signs for Maiko Marine Promenade (舞子海上プロムナード) and the Bridge Exhibition Center (橋の科学館). The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge anchorage and promenade entrance are visible from the approach.