Ushibuka, Amakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture
A drive to Ushibuka Haiya Bridge The lights overhead shimmered on the harbor, too
I got out of the car and walked down by the sea. Ushibuka Haiya Bridge began right above me and stretched all the way to the far shore. Ushibuka’s harbor is the kind of place I want to stop at even on a winter night, just to see the full 883 m of the bridge from underneath. With both hands tucked into my coat pockets, I watched the lights shimmer on the waves and kept putting off the moment I had to leave.
A story from the winter night I looked up at the bridge lights in the harbor. After taking in the water, let’s seek out some of the seafood Ushibuka has to offer, too.
WinterA December night
Looking up at the bridge, waiting for lights to ripple across the waves
On a December night, I walked down to Ushibuka’s harbor. A cool breeze brushed the back of my neck, just above my scarf. I slipped both hands into my coat pockets and looked up: the bridge stretched from directly above me far into the distance. I’d come to see the bridge people cross during the day, but from underneath it looked so immense that my mouth fell open.
Ushibuka Haiya Bridge is 883 m long. Following its course as it reaches across the harbor, I could see it bend gently halfway along. I’d imagined a bridge drawing a bold line across the sea, but here it seemed to settle naturally into the harbor view. I forgot I’d been hunching my shoulders and kept tilting my head back, gazing up.
Just as I thought I was satisfied with the bridge itself, I noticed its lights on the water. Each time a small wave rolled in, the long reflection broke into little pieces, then joined together again. The bridge stayed still while the water kept moving, and I could see both at once. I told myself I’d wait just until that wave passed, but by the time it did, another was already coming in.
The windbreak panels along the sides are said to evoke the silvery scales of a fish. Once I’d heard that, I found myself wanting to take in the repeating shapes one by one as I looked up. It made sense: a fishing port, and a bridge that brings fish to mind. The bridge I’d been marveling at for its size now seemed like a familiar part of the town.
Moving my fingertips inside my pockets, I thought back to the Ushibuka fish I’d eaten earlier that day. As I savored each slice of sashimi, I kept wanting the next one, but I also wanted the bite I was eating to last. I was feeling the same way now, gazing at the harbor. I didn’t want to hurry through either the meal or this night view.
When I turned to head back, the bridge looked different from the side. I stopped in my tracks and looked up one more time. Even after I got back to the car and warmed my hands by the heater, I could still picture the lights stretching across the water. Next time, I want to take my time looking at the bridge by day, then walk back here again after dark.
The story sections are fiction inspired by this location. For accurate information, please consult official tourism and information websites.
Local specialty
Ushibuka sashimi set and seafood bowl
Uomasa is run by a fresh-fish shop in Ushibuka. You can order sashimi sets and seafood bowls made with fish from the tanks, prepared using the ikejime method. I savored each slice slowly before reaching for the next. A trip with sea views somehow makes me want to set aside time for good fish, too.
Highlights
A bridge arcing across the fishing harbor
The bridge crosses Ushibuka Fishing Port and continues to the new fishing port at Ushirohama. A slight change in where I stood made me curious about how the curve continued into the distance; I kept stopping to look as I walked.
Windbreak panels that evoke silvery fish scales
Designed by Renzo Piano as part of the Kumamoto Artpolis project, the bridge has windbreak panels along its sides patterned after the silvery scales of a fish. Once I started thinking of it as a bridge in a fishing town, even the fine details won me over.
Bridge construction that continued through 1997
The prefecture’s architectural records list the construction period as November 1991 to August 1997. The bridge was built to connect the Ushirohama and Daiba districts. Knowing that the bridge I’d been admiring also links the harbor’s working areas made me want to linger over the lights on shore, too.
Road and walking details
Ushibuka Haiya Bridge
- Bridge length
- 883m
- Bridge width
- 13.6m
This bridge crosses Ushibuka Fishing Port, with the roadway and walkways kept separate. After looking up at it from below, I’m looking forward to crossing it on foot and taking in the view.
See the bridge from the harbor, then cross it by car or on foot to admire its arc from another angle.
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