Bridge · Nihonbashi

Nihonbashi Bridge 日本橋

The 1911 stone bridge at the heart of Edo, guarded by bronze winged kirin and lions, and the official zero-kilometre point for Japan's national highways, now slowly being freed from the expressway above it.

About

Since 1603 every road in Japan has been measured from Nihonbashi, the starting point of the Tokaido and the other Five Routes of the Edo period. The current twin-arched granite bridge dates from 1911 and is an Important Cultural Property, decorated with bronze lamp posts, winged kirin (Japanese unicorns), and lions holding the Tokyo city crest. In 1963, ahead of the Olympics, the Shuto Expressway was built directly over it, a decision Tokyoites have regretted ever since; work is now under way to bury the expressway underground and remove the overpass, a project expected to run into the late 2030s. In the middle of the bridge a plaque marks the Japan Road Zero Marker, with a replica on the northwest corner you can actually see up close. Around it lie Mitsukoshi's flagship, the Bank of Japan and the old merchant streets of Nihonbashi, and boats leave from the pier at the bridge for river and canal cruises.

Highlights

• Bronze winged kirin, symbols of Tokyo taking flight
• Lions holding the Tokyo crest on the bridge piers
• Japan Road Zero Marker, the start of the national road network
• Granite twin-arch bridge of 1911, an Important Cultural Property
• Nihonbashi pier for canal and Sumida river cruises

Tips

• The replica zero marker is on the northwest corner of the bridge; the real one sits in the middle of the roadway.
• A short canal cruise from the Nihonbashi pier gives the best views of the bridge from water level.
• Construction for the expressway removal affects views and walkways; some corners may be fenced.
• Pair it with Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi, Coredo Muromachi and the Bank of Japan, all within five minutes.

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

Nearby

• Bic Camera Nihonbashi MitsukoshiCamera Store · 130 m away
• Coin Lockers · Mitsukoshimae StationLuggage Storage · 140 m away
• Kaneko Hannosuke (Nihonbashi)Restaurant · 160 m away
• Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main StoreMall & Department Store · 200 m away
• HaibaraUnique Store · 210 m away
• Coin Lockers · Nihombashi StationLuggage Storage · 220 m away
• Nihonbashi Information CenterTourist Info · 270 m away
• TOHO Cinemas NihonbashiMovie Theaters · 280 m away