Akashi Kaikyo Bridge & Maiko Park

The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, also known as the Pearl Bridge, was completed in April 1998 after 10 years of construction, connecting Kobe on Honshu island to Awaji Island across the Akashi Strait. At 3,911 meters total length with a central span of 1,991 meters, it remains the world's longest suspension bridge by central span, surpassing all competitors by over 300 meters. The bridge was engineered to withstand typhoons, earthquakes (including the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake which occurred during construction), and heavy ship traffic through the strait.

The bridge's construction represented multiple engineering breakthroughs. Its main cables contain 290,000 kilometers of wire - enough to circle Earth 7 times. The towers stand 297 meters tall, taller than Tokyo Tower, and can flex to accommodate thermal expansion and seismic movement. The 1995 earthquake actually lengthened the bridge by nearly one meter as tectonic plates shifted, forcing engineers to adjust the design mid-construction. The project cost approximately $5 billion and employed cutting-edge technology still studied worldwide.

Today, the bridge serves as a vital transportation link carrying the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway, with approximately 25,000 vehicles crossing daily. Maiko Marine Promenade, a glass-floored walkway extending 150 meters from the bridge's Kobe-side anchorage at 47 meters above the sea, allows visitors to experience the bridge's scale. Bridge World tours take visitors inside the tower and onto catwalks 300 meters above the water (advance reservation required). The bridge has become an iconic landmark, beautifully illuminated at night, and a symbol of Japanese engineering excellence.