Seasonal lights illuminate bridges in Tokyo

The Yomiuri Shimbun

November 8, 2021

Bridges around Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, are once again shimmering with lights that reflect the season after dark. The practice was suspended until recently due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The nightly lighting-up of bridges, many of them over the Meguro River, is a project the ward is promoting to create a buzz around the waterfront and boost tourism. Initially, the ward was planning to light up 13 bridges this fiscal year, including five bridges newly added to the project, such as Isle Bridge over the canal south of Tennozu Isle. But the pandemic forced the ward to delay the start of the scheme.

The bridges are illuminated from sunset to 10 p.m. every day. For the first 60 minutes and the last 30 minutes, the lights shine with the warm color of incandescent light bulbs. During the hours in between, the colors change depending on the season. For example, they shine snow-like white from December to February, cherry-blossom pink in March and April and orange like autumn leaves in November.