Home > Recommended Courses > 13 Ways to Understand Tokyo’s Urban Infrastructure > Tokyo Port and Rainbow Bridge
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One of the goods distribution bases supporting urban city life in Tokyo.

The port supporting our life is delivering not only passengers and goods but also thoghts and feelings of people.
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Container Terminal 
Shibaura Pier
Rainbow Bridge was constructed in order to connect Odaiba in the center of Tokyo Port with Shibaura, in the direction of the city center and to decrease traffice jams of Shuto Expressways. It opened in August 1993; the tower is 127 meters high. The cable suspension bridge is 918 meters long. The bridge is on two levels, Shuto Expressway No. 11 Daiba Line on the upper level, and Rinko Road (Kaigan Aomi Line) and YURIKAMOME on the lower level. Unusual structure that is a part of the Rinko Road in the form of a loop is characteristic.
Tokyo Bay and Tokyo Port are an inseparable part of the landscape of Rainbow Bridge. Tokyo Port consists of piers for different purposes and roles, such as Hinode, Shibaura, Takeshiba, Harumi, Aomi, Oi and Shinagawa. These piers are the gateways of the sea. Water Busses and ferries are coming and going through them, and ships carrying various goods such as food, machinery and vehicles from all over the world are also coming and going through them. The size of the container terminals and the volume of its commodity transaction regularly are the highest in Japan. As one of the goods distribution bases, it supports our industrial activity and urban lives.
Tokyo Minato-kan
Tokyo Port Inspection Boat "Shin Tokyo-maru" 
The history of Tokyo Port is surprisingly new, opening in 1941. There had been many blueprints to develop Tokyo Port since the Meiji era, but none of them was realized due to opposing argument and/or financial difficulties. However, the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1922 destroyed the transportation network on the ground, then it became difficult to transport goods to Tokyo and urgently the Tokyo Port construction was carried out. The Hinode Pier and Shibaura Pier in 1925, Shibaura Pier in 1932 and Takeshiba Pier in 1934, were completed one after the other. Finally Tokyo Port was opened as an international trading port on May 20th, 1941 because of the acceleration of economic activities.
With the post war reconstruction of domestic industry the Toyosu coal pier and Harumi Pier were constructed and after 1965, it adapted container transportation. Tokyo Port took this occasion to establish its position as an international trading port.
And nowadays the port carries not only passengers and goods but also thoughts and feelings of people. Around the port area there are over forty seaside parks, port parks and greenway parks where you can enjoy viewing the sight of the port and touching the water and greens. You can enjoy bird-watching at Tokyo-Ko-Yacho-Koen (Tokyo Port Wild Birds Park). Go and play on the beach or enjoy playing sport at Oi Futo Chuo Koen (Oi Pier Central Park). You can enjoy the dynamic scene of airplanes flying high at Jonanjima Kaihin Koen (Jonanjima Seaside Park). From Tokyo Minato-kan in Rinkai Fukutoshin, you can see the panorama view of Tokyo Port from 100 meters above ground. Furthermore, you can view several piers free of charge if you go on board an inspection boat "Shin Tokyo Maru". Why don't you take a good look at the port that is deeply related to our everyday lives?
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Contact: |
25 Fl. No. 2 Main Bldg., South Side Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bldg., Public Relations, General Affairs Section General Affairs Dept. |
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TEL: |
03-5320-5524 |
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Access: |
Takeshiba Small Ships Terminal (embarkation point)15-minute walk from Hamamatsucho sta. on the JR. 5-minute walk from Takeshiba sta. on the YURIKAMOME. |
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Visiting: |
Open to the group of interested people in Tokyo Port, age 15 and more (except Jr. High school students) Reservation opens on the 1st of the month, two months prior to the visit. First-come and first-served basis. For more information please consult the following guidelines. |
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Address: |
20F Aomi Frontier Bldg., 2-43 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo |
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TEL: |
03-5500-2587 (Japanese Only) |
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Access: |
1-minute walk from Telecom Center sta. on YURIKAMOME from Shinbashi sta. |
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Open: |
9:30 - 17:30 (No entry after 17:00) |
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Closed: |
Monday (If a Monday falls on a public holiday closed on the following day) |
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Admission Fee: |
General 200 yen, Jr. High school and elementary school students 100 yen |
Click here to visit “Tokyo’s Attractions by Area” for information about the areas surrounding this route.
Click here for useful information about transportation, including One-day pass.
Click here for accommodation search in the areas surrounding this route.
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