TOKYO - A rare three-way bridge built in the central part of the Japanese capital in 1929 still retains its functional beauty despite the changing landscape around it.
The Ginza shopping district is located to the west of Miyoshi Bridge in Chuo Ward, and the Tsukiji district is where the country's largest fish market is until 2018, to the south. The Shintomi district, which used to have an entertainment quarter, is located on the east side of the bridge. The Kabukiza Theatre is located about 500 meters southwest.
The bridge is 15 meters wide. A three-way bridge with subtle curves is rare, and was featured in Yukio Mishima's novel The Seven Bridges. The Tsukiji River used to flow under the Miyoshi Bridge, carrying boats laoded with everyday commodities.
The river has since been reclaimed, and the Metropolitan Expressway and Tokyo Metro's Yurakucho Line run beneath the bridge. The bridge's functional beauty is preserved because high-rise buildings have been built around it, dramatically changing the landscape.
I took long-exposure photos of the bridge from the upper floor of the Chuo Ward Office after sunset. The bridge looks peaceful in the pictures, despite the throng of cars running on the expressway below.
The Miyoshi Bridge, built as part of a reconstruction project after the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, continues to support the lives of people coming and going.
This series explores Japan's architectural wonders and secrets of the past.