The Rainbow Bridge

The 918 metre long suspended Rainbow Bridge links the futuristic leisure town of Odaiba with the Tokyo Waterfront, crossing Tokyo Bay underneath. Named after the beautiful rainbow coloured lighting that graces the structure in the evenings, the bridge is one of the city’s most popular and attractive landmarks.

Opening in 1993, the Rainbow Bridge has two decks stretching its 918 metres; one deck carries an express-way while the other carries a regular road, the fully automated driver-less Yurikamome Line railway and a walking path. The bridge is a popular walk with many excellent vantage points to see some of the futuristic architecture of Odaiba and Tokyo along the way. Taking about 30 minutes, there are several rest stops and plenty of vending machines for refreshments along the bridge.

The Yurikamome Line starts from near the Shiodome Exit of JR Shimbashi Station and is the best way to get to Odaiba, as along the way you travel across the Rainbow Bridge. There is also an enjoyable boat ride called the water-bus. This ferry travels under the Rainbow Bridge for a different perspective of this 54 metre high structure. The water-bus leaves Hinode Pier on the Tokyo side of the Bridge and returns from a jetty near the Fuji Television Building.

The bridge is a perfect photo opportunity as dusk falls, when the lights of the city illuminate into the hazy skies. A terrific photo can be taken from near Pallet Town with Tokyo’s Statue of Liberty in the foreground. The statue was actually a copy of a Statue of Liberty France lent to Japan in 1998. There was a large public appeal that was able to return a replica to the Odaiba area, it is now known as a symbol of Odaiba.