Bridge · Ryogoku

Ryogoku Bridge 両国橋

The bridge that gave Ryogoku its name: first built in 1659 between two provinces, now a 1932 Gerber bridge decorated with sumo and fireworks motifs.

About

After the Great Meireki Fire of 1657 trapped thousands of Edo residents against the river, the shogunate built a bridge here. Completed a few years later, it linked Musashi and Shimousa provinces, hence "Ryogoku" (two provinces). The bridge became the heart of Edo's summer fireworks, the ancestor of today's Sumida River Fireworks, and appears in many ukiyo-e prints by Hiroshige and Hokusai. The current steel Gerber girder bridge opened in 1932; later renovations added round sumo-ring balconies, gunbai (referee fan) and fireworks designs on the railings, and globe lamps on the pillars. The mouth of the Kanda River and its moored yakatabune boats are just upstream.

Highlights

• Edo's second Sumida bridge, the namesake of the Ryogoku district
• Sumo ring-shaped balconies and fireworks motifs on the railings
• Distinctive globe lamps atop square pillars
• Views of the Kanda River mouth and yakatabune boats

Tips

• Combine with Ryogoku Kokugikan and the Sumida Hokusai Museum.
• The west-end riverside terrace gives a clean view of the whole span.
• Yakatabune dinner cruises depart from the Kanda River mouth just upstream.

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

Nearby

• Yanagibashi BridgeBridge · 160 m away
• Ekōin TempleTemple · 230 m away
• Beer Club PopeyeBars & Nightlife · 350 m away
• Asakusabashi BridgeBridge · 350 m away
• Ryogoku Tourist Information CenterTourist Info · 390 m away
• Coin Lockers · Ryogoku StationLuggage Storage · 430 m away
• Ryogoku Station & Edo NorenTransit Hub · 450 m away
• Ryogoku KokugikanSports & Sumo · 480 m away