Akashi Kaikyo Bridge and Akashi: Pearl Bridge, Castle and Time

Updated October 25, 2026 | By Tokyo Paul

West of Kobe, the Seto Inland Sea narrows into a strait where fast tides run between the main island of Honshu and Awaji Island. Across it stretches the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, a suspension bridge that holds a world record and glows at night. Just beyond the bridge's Honshu end, the city of Akashi offers a very different pleasure: a castle park, a seafood arcade, octopus specialties and a planetarium standing on the line that sets the time for the whole country. This guide pairs the two, with engineering facts, viewing options and practical advice, using official tourism pages and encyclopedic sources.

The Strait

The Akashi Strait is about 4 km wide and links the Seto Inland Sea with Osaka Bay, between Honshu and Awaji. Its fastest tidal current is about 4.5 m/s (8.7 knots). Because the tides here are strong, keep well back from the water's edge and do not swim near the strait.

Before the bridge, ferries carried travelers across. A page from the Japan National Tourism Organization describes the bridge as replacing a ferry service between Kobe and Awaji Island that was vulnerable to frequent storms. Wikipedia adds that in 1955 a storm sank two ferries in the strait, killing 168 people, which led to plans for a bridge.

The Bridge in Numbers

The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge has a total length of 3,911 m and a central span of 1,991 m, with two side spans of 960 m each. It links Kobe on Honshu with Iwaya on Awaji Island and carries six lanes of the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway, part of the Honshu-Shikoku Highway. Its nickname is the Pearl Bridge.

The bridge opened on April 5, 1998. Its central span is the longest of any suspension bridge in the world, and Guinness World Records recognizes it as the longest suspension bridge.

Sources differ on the height of the towers. Wikipedia gives 282.8 m above sea level, while a tourism page describes the towers as 300 meters tall. Rather than choosing one, it is fair to say the towers are roughly 280 to 300 m high.

One detail shows how closely engineers had to track nature. The Great Hanshin earthquake of January 17, 1995 moved the towers, which had originally been 1,990 m apart, so the central span was increased by 1 m. The bridge is rated for winds up to 286 km/h and earthquakes up to magnitude 8.5, and heat can expand it by up to 2 m over a day.

Bridge Lights

At night the bridge is lit, with different lighting by season and for events. Wikipedia counts 1,737 lights in total with the cable lights using 28 patterns for holidays, memorial days and festivities. A tourism site gives a rounder figure of over 1,600 lights. Maiko Park, on the Kobe side, offers close views of the lit bridge at night.

Maiko Marine Promenade and the Exhibition Center

One way to get close to the bridge on foot is the Maiko Marine Promenade on the Kobe side. It is a round-trip walkway about 150 m from land and about 47 m above the sea, entered through the great bridge pier overlooking Maiko Park. It has a glass floor, a cafe and an exhibition on how the bridge was built.

Another guide says the promenade extends 317 m into the strait and that its eighth floor has an observatory lounge and a restaurant with sea views. From the promenade there are views of the bridge interior, the Akashi Strait and Osaka Bay.

The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge Exhibition Center has a bridge model and hands-on exhibits about bridge engineering. It is about a 5-minute walk from JR Maiko Station. Its history displays are only in Japanese, so a translation app can be useful.

For more adventurous visitors, a Bridge World guided tour walks maintenance routes that are normally closed to the public and is limited to ages 13 and over. Another page notes that a tower climb tour requires a reservation and runs on Thursday through Sunday and holidays from April to November. Details, prices and eligibility vary by page, so book through the official operator and follow all safety briefings.

The promenade is about a 5-minute walk from JR Maiko Station, or about 12 minutes from Sanyo Electric Railway Maiko-koen Station. Opening hours and closing days are published on the official Hyogo tourism page, so check them before going. In strong wind, rain or typhoon weather, facilities near the bridge may close, so check conditions on the day.

Akashi City: Castle and Market

Akashi is a city in southern Hyogo Prefecture on the Seto Inland Sea. Its population was 305,925 as of February 1, 2024, and it became the castle town of Akashi Domain, which lasted from 1617 to 1871. It became a city in 1919. The bridge's terminus is in Tarumi-ku, Kobe, not in Akashi itself, so the bridge and the city are separate stops that combine well.

Akashi Castle was built from 1617 to 1619 by Ogasawara Tadazane under an order from Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada. Two of its yagura towers, Tatsumi Yagura and Hitsujisaru Yagura, are Important Cultural Properties, and the site has been a National Historic Site since 1957. The page states that no tenshu main tower was ever built. After the castle was largely demolished in 1874, the site became Hyogo Prefectural Akashi Park.

A day-trip article says the castle is about a 5-minute walk from JR Akashi Station, with a stone wall about 20 m high and 380 m wide. Wikipedia notes a claim that the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi assisted as a construction supervisor, but says it is made without clear documentary evidence.

About a 10-minute walk from the castle, Uontana Shopping Street is a 350 m arcade with about 100 shops, mainly selling seafood. Wikipedia describes Uonotana as a market where fishermen sell fresh seafood from the Akashi Strait.

Tako and Akashiyaki

Akashi is known for octopus (tako). Akashiyaki is a regional variation of takoyaki made with small pieces of octopus, flour and egg batter, often dipped in a thin broth. Locals call it "tamagoyaki." A tourism article describes the batter as made with wheat flour, starch, eggs and dashi, served with a Kansai-style kelp and bonito sauce, and also mentions takomeshi, an octopus rice dish. Eat hot dishes carefully and ask about allergens, since octopus, egg and wheat flour are the base of akashiyaki.

Time, Meridians and the Planetarium

Akashi has another claim to fame. The 135th meridian east, which sets Japan Standard Time (UTC+9), passes through the city. Japan set this standard in 1886, and it took effect on January 1, 1888. A meridian marker was established in Akashi in 1910.

The Akashi Municipal Planetarium opened in 1960 on the meridian, which is painted on the building, and it is a registered national tangible cultural property. The original Carl Zeiss Jena projector installed at the opening is still in use. The building was badly damaged in the Kobe earthquake, restored over three years and reopened in 1998. A third-floor exhibition hall shows mechanical Japanese clocks that tell traditional Japanese time, and the observation decks offer 360-degree views that include the bridge.

The planetarium is about 3 minutes on foot from Hitomaru-mae Station on the Sanyo Railway, or about 15 minutes from JR Akashi Station. Hours and closing days are listed on its official page, so confirm them first.

Seasons and Weather

Akashi's climate is humid subtropical, with an average annual temperature of 15.9 C, and snowfall is not significant. The bridge is illuminated at night, with different lighting by season, so evening visits are possible in any season.

Weather near the water can change, so bring a light jacket. Stay inside permitted areas near the strait, because of its strong tidal currents.

Quick Answers

Is the bridge in Akashi? The bridge links Kobe and Awaji Island, and its Honshu end is in Tarumi-ku, Kobe, while Akashi is the neighboring city.

When did it open? April 5, 1998.

How long is the central span? 1,991 m.

Which meridian crosses Akashi? The 135th meridian east, which sets Japan Standard Time.

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