Kachidoki Bridge

Located over the Sumida River in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, Kachidoki Bridge was the furthest downstream on the Sumida River until the opening of Tsukiji Bridge in 2018.

Completed and opened in Showa 15 (1940), Kachidoki Bridge (Kachidokibashi) is a double-leaf bascule bridge with a total length of 246m and a width of about 26m. At the time of its completion, it was called the largest movable bridge in the East. It played a major role as a means of transportation replacing the "Tsukuda Ferry" and the "Tsukishima Ferry", which had been the means of communication between Tsukiji and Tsukishima. Initially, it was opened five times a day, but it has not been opened since Showa 45 (1970) due to a decrease in ship traffic and an increase in road traffic.

As one of the few surviving bascule bridges in Japan, it was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 2007 for its high level of technological achievement, boasting the largest movable span in the country. Near the bridge, there is the "Kachidoki Bridge Museum," an exhibition facility renovated from the substation used to open and close Kachidoki Bridge, where you can learn about the history and mechanism of the bridge.

From the promenade on the bridge, you can overlook famous places such as Tsukiji and Tsukuda. It is beautifully lit up at night, allowing for a different atmosphere.