Description of the attraction
Rainbow Bridge has a long and less romantic official name - Shuto Expressway No. 11 Daiba Route - Port of Tokyo Connector Bridge. It was called rainbow because every night thousands of lamps installed on the cables of the bridge illuminate it with red, white and green light. For its illumination, the bridge was even drawn by animators in the animated film Cars-2.
There is also a legend about the Rainbow Bridge - it is believed that it serves as a meeting place for deceased pets and their owners in the afterlife. This tradition is widespread in English-speaking countries.
In fact, the double-deck suspension bridge provides the movement of cars, monorail trains and pedestrians across northern Tokyo Bay from the Shibaura shipyard to the man-made island of Odaibo. The length of the bridge is 918 meters, the height with the towers is 126 meters. This structure was erected over five years, the opening of the bridge took place in 1993. For pedestrians, a walk over the bay takes about half an hour. For tourists, the Rainbow Bridge is one of the visiting cards of the Japanese capital.
The bridge connects the Minato-ku area with Odaibo Island. The island is one of the defensive fortifications that were built to protect against attacks from the sea back in the 19th century. In total, it was planned to build 11 bulk islands, but only five were succeeded, of which only two survived. Today, the former coastal fortification has become a center of business, trade and entertainment, very popular with visitors to Japan.
Opposite the bridge is a copy of the Statue of Liberty. She appeared here in the spring of 1998, when the Year of France was celebrated in Japan. As you know, it was the French who presented the citizens of the United States with a statue that has become a symbol of democracy and freedom. The Japanese copy is four times smaller than the American one. Several Japanese companies led by Fuji Electric provided funds for its construction. After the end of the Year of France, the monument was dismantled, but soon it was decided to return to its original place - its popularity was too great.
