Kanmon Bridge

bridge, Kanmon Straits, Japan

Also known as: Kanmonkyo Bridge

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

The Kanmon Bridge is a significant structure in Japan, connecting the islands of Honshu and Kyushu over the Shimonoseki Strait. Completed in 1975, it was Japan's first major island bridge, showcasing advancements in steel bridge construction.1

While the Kanmon Bridge itself is a notable engineering feat, it's important to distinguish it from the Kanmon Tunnel, which was the world's first under-ocean tunnel, completed earlier between the same islands. Japan has a history of constructing impressive long-span bridges, including the Seto Great Bridge, which spans the Inland Sea and is a complex network of six bridges linking Honshu and Shikoku.213

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

bridge
Island bridges
The Kanmon Bridge (1975), linking the islands of Honshu and Kyushu over the Shimonoseki Strait, was the first major island bridge in Japan. At about this time the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Authority was formed to connect these two main islands with three lines of bridges and highways.…
Read More
The Kanmon Bridge (1975), linking the islands of Honshu and Kyushu over the Shimonoseki Strait, was the first major island bridge in Japan. At about this time the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Authority was formed to connect these two main islands with three lines of bridges and highways.…
Read More