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Setonaikai NP, Ehime
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This 4.1-km crossing is actually 3 suspension bridges joined in a row—the world’s first triple suspension-bridge chain. Two anchorages are shared, linking the spans directly instead of leaving each bridge to stand alone.
Beneath the bridge, currents can reach 10 knots (about 18.5 km/h). Ships follow the world’s only tide-dependent rule that switches them between right- and left-side navigation as the current changes direction.
Imabari’s tai no hamayaki is a name trap: sea bream is steam-cooked in freshly heated salt from Hashihama’s saltworks, not grilled over a flame. It traditionally appears at spring festivals and celebrations.
These waters were once controlled from Kurushima Castle, stronghold of the Kurushima branch of the Murakami Kaizoku. They held the Iyo-side route through the Geiyo Islands, making this bridge a crossing over an old maritime corridor.
The bridge route was planned to avoid crossing Nakato-jima and changing the terrain of Takeshi-jima. At the Imabari end, a tunnel-style cable anchorage limits hillside changes in this national-park landscape.
Midway along the bridge chain, a see-through elevator carries walkers, cyclists and moped riders down to Uma-jima. The descent turns a towering bridge pier into an island entrance, with the fast-moving tide in view.
To build in this fast-flowing shipping channel, engineers developed a self-propelled barge that could hold position in the tide and lift prefabricated deck sections straight up—helping keep construction brief and disruption to ships low.
The 6 main tower tops were deliberately set at different heights so they trace one smooth curve across the skyline. That visual line ties together 3 bridges whose spans vary greatly in size.
The bridge’s main cables have a hidden anti-rust system: S-shaped wire wrapping helps keep moisture out, while dry air is circulated inside. Even the core of this giant structure is engineered to stay dry.
Some lights on the bridge are navigation aids, not decoration: red and green lamps mark the edges of the channel beneath it, and a white light marks the center. The navigable clearance varies from 46 to 65 m.
