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The Rainbow Bridge ultimate photo guide
Rainbow Bridge is a must-see for photographers! Why? This pedestrian-friendly marvel connecting Shibaura and Odaiba offers breathtaking views of the city. You can photograph its iconic landmarks like Tokyo Tower and the Skytree. Its north side has amazing panoramas and observation platforms. See ships glide below. There are sweeping cityscapes, sunset shots, and unique bridge angles. Here’s everything you need to know to plan the perfect photography walk!
You can walk the pathways on either side of the bridge, but the north is the best. It has the most to offer. You can use its observation platforms to get your pictures. From start to end, it is fantastic. I love it.
Sorry to say the south side is very bland. Yes, you can see Odaiba. It has the beachfront and the iconic Fuji Television television building. Tokyo’s main port area and some islands are near the bridge, but it’s not overly appealing. Nothing stands out. I rarely walk it.
Back to the north! If you like panoramas, you’ll get something memorable on a fine day. Long ago, you could get pictures of huge passenger ships passing underneath. They used to moor at the nearby Harumi Passenger Ship Terminal (now demolished). Today, you’ll see jet skis, ferries, hydrofoils, and workboats on the water. There is more of course.
Make use of its observation decks. There are quite a few at both ends of the bridge. Some have high fences but with gaps in the wire for picture taking. Others are open, so taking photographs is no problem. Be careful with the unfenced ones, because if your cell phone or camera goes over the side, you’ll never see it again!
What can you photograph from Rainbow Bridge?
- City skyscrapers
- Ferries and other vessels
- Harumi Passenger Ship Terminal (now demolished)
- Odaiba beachfront
- City skyline
- Rainbow Bridge (Yes, you can photograph the bridge from the bridge!)
- Tokyo Skytree
- Tokyo Tower
Photography tips
- Tripods are not allowed, but monopods are.
- I’d suggest taking both a wide-angle and a long lens. Both will be useful.
- It isn’t easy to photograph from the middle of the bridge.
- In the middle of the bridge are walkways. They are fenced and covered in mesh for apparent reasons. Most camera lenses won’t fit through it. So drop to your knees! Under the mesh, at ground level, are grills. It has vertical bars, no horizontal ones. Your camera will fit through these.
More photo spots in the area
- Daiba Island (to photograph Rainbow Bridge)
- Hachitama Observatory
- Odaiba Seaside Park
- Statue of Liberty
- Tokyo Big Sight (conference and convention center)
- Toyosu Gururi Park
When is the best time to walk the bridge?
I’d recommend it later in the day. When the sun starts to go down, the light will be softer, which is the best time.
How long does the walk across Rainbow Bridge take?
If you don’t stop for photographs, you should finish within thirty minutes.
Rainbow Bridge Information
Where is the bridge?
- The easiest way to get there is to take the Yamanote line to Shinbashi Station. Then, take the Yurikamome to Shibaura-Futou. After that, it is a short five-minute walk.
- At the bridge, enter the reception area (complete with drink machines and toilets). On the right side is an elevator. Take it up to the lower deck (yes, there is an upper deck, but inaccessible).
Here is a Google map:
Admission costs
None
Opening hours:
- Summer: April to October 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
- Winter: November to March 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
It is closed to walking on the third Monday of every month (If it is a national holiday, the following day)
Public Restrooms
They are at either end before you enter the main decks. None exist in the middle.
Rainbow Bridge opening hours
- Summer (April to October) from 9 am to 9 pm
- Winter (November to March) from 10 am to 6 pm
- The bridge is closed on the third Monday of every month.
When does it light up?
- The lights come on at sundown and go off at midnight.
- Sometimes there are special events such as this one.
Bicycles on Rainbow Bridge
Bicycles are allowed on the bridge, but you can’t ride them. You will need to push them. When you arrive at Rainbow Bridge, you`ll see a reception office. The staff will take your identification and give you a dolly-like contraption. Attach it to the rear wheel of your bike. After that, simply push it across.
When you reach the other side, return the dolly to the office. Bicycle traffic is strictly one-way. If you are going from Shibaura to Odaiba, take the south side. From Odaiba to Shibaura, take the north side.
Conclusion
So, Rainbow Bridge is an excellent Tokyo photo spot. It is also great for architectural photography. You have the bridge and so many great buildings around it. No wonder it is popular with local photographers.
If you have the chance to walk along the nearby Odaiba beach, do it! That will give you another opportunity to get some shots of the bridge in its entirety. I’d suggest doing that at either sunset or night.
The bridge is one of my favorite places for photography in Tokyo. Hopefully, it will be one of yours too! And who knows, maybe we’ll see you on Rainbow Bridge someday. Please questions and comments below.
Rainbow Bridge FAQ
- Official name: Shuto Expressway No. 11 Daiba Route – Port of Tokyo Connector Bridge
- When was it built? Construction started in 1987 and finished in 1993
- Opening date: August 26, 1993
- Total length: 798 meters
- Number of spans: 3
- Tower heights (from sea level): 126 meters
- Who constructed it? Kawasaki Heavy Industries
- Are camera tripods allowed on the bridge? No
- Pedestrian walkways: On both sides of the bridge
- Does the bridge light up? Yes, it does. Read this webpage for more information.
- How many lights are on Rainbow Bridge? 520
External related websites:
- Rainbow Bridge (official website)
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6 thoughts on “The Rainbow Bridge ultimate photo guide”
Yes, Z5 with a 24-200 lens. Not the best but handy. I can get down to f4 if zoom out but I might need to invest in a faster lens. Thanks very much for the advice, Rohan. Much appreciated!
I thought the Z5 kit lens was 24-50. 24-200 is huge! Sometimes I wish I had a Nikon or Canon (only sometimes though). Your choice of lenses is great. By the way, do you use Lightroom or any apps for processing your pics? That could help out somewhat with the exposure.
Hi Rohan! Beautiful pictures. I walked over the bridge yesterday and tried getting some night shots. As you wrote there are some good spots to take photos but the bridge ofetn shook as traffic passed which makes long exposures tricky. I recommend taking a towel or something to rest the camera on. I used on old eye pillow. I don’t know much about night photography so probably my exposure times were too short but the night view across the bay is amazing.
Hey Matt, thanks for dropping by and the kind comment 🙂 Yes, that view from the bridge is amazing and I wish I could go there more often. I need to update the article actually, especially in regards to long exposures. Some experimentation is needed I think. Like you said a towel or something can help, but the swaying is a major problem. Were you trying for light trails? Or just for a reasonable exposure?
I was trying for reasonable exposure but tbh was probably too short. The settings that I used were ss 1.0/f 6.3/iso 250 but in hindsight I should have used a slower ss and lower iso. My lens is a kit lens, so not that great. I’ve done some research but I’m still not sure what I’m doing and just try different things until I get a decent result, lol. I was just wondering what settings you use for night shots because your shots always look so good. Cheers.
You shoot a Nikon Z5 with the kit lens, is that right? If your subject is the skyline, you don’t need to worry about DoF, so I’d change the aperture to f4. That’ll get a little more light onto the sensor.
If you are shooting with the lens at 24mm, then my S/S would be around 1/30 sec. For 50 mm, use 1/50. That should prevent handheld blur, the bridge might sway in any case and ruin everything.
Put your ISO at the lowest level and then check each pic as you take them. If it looks too dark, raise the ISO. Then repeat as needed. I’m guessing you’ll end up with it at 1000 or 1600 if the sky is fairly dark.
Another idea would be to shoot in the 30 minutes after sunset, the sky should be relatively bright and hopefully, the city lights should be starting to come on.
Hopefully, this helps. Good luck with your next shoot there!