Tatara Bridge

In short

Tatara Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge on the Setouchi Shimanami Kaido, connecting Ikuchijima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture with Omishima Island in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture. It spans the border between Hiroshima and Ehime Prefectures and opened on May 1, 1999. At the time of its completion, it was the world's longest cable-stayed bridge, and it held that title until 2008.

• ​226-Meter Main Towers Above Sea Level​​: The tops of the towers stand 226 meters above sea level, making them the tallest on the Shimanami Kaido
• ​The "Nakiryu" (Roaring Dragon) Beneath the Towers​​: Clapping your hands directly under the main towers makes the sound echo up toward the sky. On the Shimanami Kaido, this is found only on this bridge, and it cannot be experienced merely by driving across by car
• ​Bicycle and Pedestrian Path Crossing the Prefectural Border​​: You can view the bridge up close, and a sign indicating the prefectural border is located on the bridge. With few ascents or descents, it is an easy bridge to ride across, even by bicycle

History and Highlights

​Tatara Bridge​ is the fourth bridge from the Onomichi side of the Setouchi Shimanami Kaido, connecting Ikuchijima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture with Omishima Island in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture. This cable-stayed bridge spans the border between Hiroshima and Ehime Prefectures and opened on May 1, 1999 (Heisei 11). It was one of the last bridges to open on the Shimanami Kaido.

With a total length of 1,480 meters and a main span of 890 meters, it was the world's longest cable-stayed bridge at the time of its completion. It held the title of world's longest until 2008. It is also a sister bridge to the Normandy Bridge in France.

It was originally planned to be built as a suspension bridge. However, against the backdrop of technological advancements in cable-stayed bridges, and taking into consideration environmental conservation and economic efficiency, the design was changed to a cable-stayed bridge. Because it was being built within Setonaikai National Park, it is said that a cable-stayed design was chosen because the construction would be less disruptive to the landscape. Switching to a cable-stayed bridge also avoided large-scale topographic alterations to Mount Kannon on Ikuchijima Island, which would have been required to install suspension bridge anchorages. The construction techniques for long cable-stayed bridges developed during the building of Ikuchi Bridge greatly aided this change.

Viewing and Experience Points

• ​226-Meter Main Towers Above Sea Level​​: The tops of the towers stand 226 meters above sea level, making them the tallest on the Shimanami Kaido. Visitors can also enjoy the contrast with Mount Kannon, the highest peak in the Geiyo Islands. When viewed from Omishima Island, Mount Kannon on Ikuchijima Island rises beyond the white towers.
• ​The "Nakiryu" (Roaring Dragon) Beneath the Towers​​: Clapping your hands directly under the main towers allows you to experience the nakiryu (roaring dragon) phenomenon, where the sound echoes up toward the sky. On the Shimanami Kaido, this can only be experienced on this bridge. It cannot be experienced merely by driving across by car.
• ​Bicycle and Pedestrian Path Crossing the Prefectural Border​​: From the dedicated bicycle and pedestrian path on the bridge, you can view the structure up close, and the views from atop the bridge are also recommended. A sign indicating the prefectural border is located on the bridge. Because numerous cables support the bridge girder, the pathway on the bridge is flat with few ascents or descents, making it easy to ride across even by bicycle.

Tips for Exploring

Tatara Bridge can be reached on foot from either the Setoda Parking Area (downbound) or Tatara Shimanami Park, a roadside station located near the Omishima Interchange. The roaring dragon effect under the main towers can also be experienced when visiting on foot. Tatara Shimanami Park on the Omishima Island side is considered the best vantage point for viewing Tatara Bridge. On the Ikuchijima Island side, Setoda Sunset Beach is located about 2.5 kilometers north-northeast of the bridge, and Kosanji Temple is about 5.4 kilometers away.