Photo Spot · Shinkawa / Eitai

Eitai-bashi Bridge at Night 夜の永代橋

A powerful 1926 steel arch over the Sumida, lit blue at night with the towers of Okawabata River City 21 shining behind it, one of Tokyo's best riverside night scenes.

About

Eitai-bashi was the first Sumida bridge rebuilt after the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, completed in 1926 and modelled on a bridge over the Rhine. Where Kiyosu-bashi is graceful, Eitai-bashi is muscular: a single riveted steel arch that is floodlit in cool blue after dark. From the Sumida River Terrace on the Shinkawa (west) bank just north of the bridge, you can frame the arch with the high-rises of Okawabata River City 21 on Tsukuda behind it, and in the other direction the lights of the Hakozaki junction. Long exposures turn passing water buses into light ribbons. It is a national Important Cultural Property and one of the most popular night-view bridges among Tokyo photographers.

Highlights

• Blue-lit riveted steel arch from 1926
• River City 21 towers glowing behind the bridge
• Light trails from boats on the Sumida
• Wide riverside terraces on both banks
• Important Cultural Property, a short walk from Kiyosu-bashi

Tips

• Blue hour is the sweet spot when the bridge lighting and sky balance.
• Shoot from the west bank terrace north of the bridge looking south, and from the east bank for the city behind.
• Use 10-30 s exposures for boat trails; brace on the railing or use a compact tripod away from the walking line.
• Combine with Kiyosu-bashi (15 minutes upriver) for a bridge photo walk.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

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• Sumidagawa Ohashi BridgeBridge · 320 m away
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• T-CAT · Baggage Room & Coin LockersLuggage Storage · 590 m away
• T-CAT (Tokyo City Air Terminal)Transit Hub · 590 m away
• Chuo Ohashi BridgeBridge · 610 m away
• Minami-Takahashi BridgeBridge · 640 m away
• JW CameraCamera Store · 720 m away