is a bridge located in

Yamaguchi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,377,631 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 6,112 Square kilometre, km2 (2,359 Square mile, sq mi). ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. The bridge connects the island of

Tsunoshima is an island located in the Sea of Japan. Located in the north west of Yamaguchi Prefecture, it is a part of Shimonoseki city. The island has an area of and has a coastline of . The island consists primarily of basalt, and is a part of the Kita- ...

to mainland Japan.

Overview

Tsunoshima Bridge crosses the Amagaseto Strait in the

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...

, linking the island of

with the mainland at Hōhoku,

Shimonoseki file:141122 Shimonoseki City Hall Yamaguchi pref Japan01s3.jpg, 260px, Shimonoseki city hall is a Cities of Japan, city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 248,193 in 128,762 households and a pop ...

. It is long, making it the second-longest bridge in Japan behind the

Akashi Kaikyō Bridge The is a suspension bridge that links the city of Kobe on the Japanese island of Honshu and on Awaji Island. It is part of the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway, and crosses the busy and turbulent Akashi Strait (''Akashi Kaikyō'' in Japanese). ...

. The bridge is noted for its distinctive curved shape: it proceeds straight as it extends from the mainland before curving as it passes Hatoshima, an uninhabited island located in the strait. As Tsunoshima Bridge is located within the borders of

Kita-Nagato Kaigan Quasi-National Park is a Quasi-National Park on the coast of Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It was founded on 1 November 1955 and has an area of . See also * List of national parks of Japan and of Japan are places of scenic beauty that are designated for pro ...

, the bridge was intentionally curved to avoid passing through Hatoshima, thus preserving its natural environment; the height of the bridge was also limited to preserve the landscape of the surrounding area.

History

Prior to the construction of Tsunoshima Bridge, Tsunoshima and the mainland were connected by a

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

that made seven daily round-trips. The ferry was frequently delayed and cancelled due to inclement weather, particularly in the winter; in 1983, a group of roughly 100 island residents formed a group to advocate for the construction of a bridge. Construction on Tsunoshima Bridge began in September 1993, with a total project cost of

JP¥ The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market, after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a third reserve currency after the US dollar and the euro. T ...

14.9 billion. The bridge opened on November 3, 2000. In 2003, the bridge was recognized with the Excellence Award by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers for its environmentally-conscious design.

Tourism

While the transportation access provided by Tsunoshima Bridge has contributed significantly to Tsunoshima's tourism industry, the bridge is itself a popular tourist destination for its panoramic views of the island and its proximity to several sub-tropical beaches. Several viewing platforms and other amenities are located at Amagase Park, a park that is split into two sections on both ends of the bridge. Automobile commercials and television dramas are frequently filmed on and around the bridge.

Gallery

References

External links

{{Commons
Video reel of Tsunoshima Bridge
published by the ''

Sankei Shimbun The , name short for , is a daily national newspaper in Japan published by the Sankei Shimbun Co., Ltd, ranking amongst the top five most circulated newspapers in Japan. Together with its English-language paper ''Japan Forward'', the ''Sankei ...

'' Transport buildings and structures in Yamaguchi Prefecture