About this location: Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge
The Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge is a three-in-a-row suspension bridge (total 4,105 m) spanning the Kurushima Strait. An icon of the Shimanami Kaido, it was the world's first three-structure suspension bridge. The rushing strait currents beneath and massive spans above create the Seto Inland Sea's most dramatic scene.
Key features
- Three-section suspension structure — a world-first sequence of First, Second, and Third bridges, totaling 4,105 m and slicing across the strait in a straight line
- View from Mt. Kiro Observatory — at 307 m, a 360° panorama of the entire bridge, the strait, and surrounding islands; spectacular at sunset
- Itoyama Park (Imabari side) — a park beside the bridge's foot, where the slanting late-day light and the shimmering surface combine beautifully
- Cycling deck — a 6.5 km cycling path on top of the bridge, riding 70 m above the sea — the symbol of the Shimanami Kaido route
- Fast strait currents — up to 10 knots beneath the bridge, with whitecaps and eddies that animate the shot
