Muroran City, Hokkaido
Hakucho Bridge One bite, then one more look at the glowing bridge
I went to Muroran on a late-July night to see Hakucho Bridge lit up in white. I picked up Muroran yakitori in town and enjoyed it while admiring the bridge lights against the night sky.
Around 20:00 in late July, I enjoyed Muroran yakitori while watching Hakucho Bridge glow. The sweetness of the onion made me grin. Even after the last bite, I wanted to keep looking at the bridge; it was just that kind of night.
SummerLate July, around 20:00
One bite, then one more look at the glowing bridge
My friend and I picked up yakitori in Muroran and came to a spot with a view of Hakucho Bridge. By the time I parked, night had fully set in. Beyond the white lines of the car park, the bridge’s towers and cables shone white. I chose to eat here because I wanted a little longer to look at that enormous bridge.
I love how different the bridge looks at night, its shape picked out in lines of light. The grass in the foreground was dark, and beyond it, the illuminated suspension bridge seemed to float. With a light jacket over my black top, I opened the container beside the car. My friend was looking the same way. “You just want to trace it from end to end, don’t you?”
Hakucho Bridge is 1,380 m long. I’d seen it in photos, but standing in front of it made that length start to feel real. I followed the cables slanting down from the towers with my eyes, then traced the line of the roadway. It isn’t just a huge bridge; it’s a suspension bridge that makes you want to see how all its parts connect.
I’d heard that the bridge’s night lighting uses LEDs powered by wind energy. I found myself looking more closely at the wind turbines in the distance. The bridge lights and the turbines seemed connected now, part of the same scene. While my friend and I talked, my gaze kept shifting, and before I knew it, I’d spent longer taking in the view.
Muroran yakitori skewers alternate pieces of pork and onion. I tried a bite with sweet sauce and a dab of yellow mustard. The sweet onion came through alongside the pork, and I couldn’t help grinning at how good it was. I held out the container for my friend to pick the next skewer. I was happy to pair a local specialty we’d picked up in town with a night view like this.
When we finished the skewers, I didn’t head back to the car right away. I took one more look at the bridge. At the end of a day driving through this seaside town, I followed the glowing towers and cables with my eyes, wanting to remember their glow on the way home.
The story sections are fiction inspired by this location. For accurate information, please consult official tourism and information websites.
Local specialty
Muroran yakitori
Muroran yakitori is grilled pork and onion threaded alternately onto skewers. With sweet sauce and a little yellow mustard, the onion’s sweetness came through alongside the pork, and I couldn’t help smiling at how good it was.
Highlights
A suspension bridge traced in light
The bridge is 1,380 m long. Trace the towers and cables as you take in the view.
Pick up a local specialty to go
Muroran yakitori is made with pork and onion. Enjoy it with yellow mustard and sweet sauce.
Road and location details
Hakucho Bridge and access to Mitara Muroran
- Bridge length
- Full length of the bridge: 1,380 m
- Driving time to Mitara Muroran
- About 10 minutes by car from JR Muroran Station
The drive time is the estimate given on Mitara Muroran’s official site. The facility is near the bridge.
Leave time to drive across the bridge and stop to take in the night view.
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