Tokyo’s Rainbow Bridge is the suspension bridge opened in 1993 whose official name refers to its rainbow-like role connecting the city’s waterfront districts.
The bridge crosses Tokyo Bay between Shibaura Pier and the artificial island of Odaiba. It carries the Metropolitan Expressway, ordinary road traffic and the Yurikamome automated transit line. Pedestrian walkways also run along parts of its lower level.
The bridge opened on August 26, 1993. Its two-level structure is about 798 metres long, with a main span of 570 metres. At night, lighting colors change according to seasons and special events, making the bridge especially prominent in Tokyo’s skyline.
Rainbow Bridge is a descriptive English rendering of its Japanese name, Rainbow Bridge. It is not the same as Tokyo Gate Bridge, which opened in 2012 and has a distinctive truss design farther east in Tokyo Bay.