Saikai Bridge

Nagasaki · Japan · Bridge

Beneath the elegant steel arch churn the whirlpools of the Hario Strait — and those they swallow are said to rarely let go of the bridge.

Since 1955 the Saikai Bridge between Sasebo and Saikai has spanned the Hario Strait, one of Japan's three fastest tidal channels, where huge whirlpools open in the water below. In the 1960s and 70s it became one of Nagasaki's most notorious suicide spots, and the currents rarely left anything to be found. Since protective railings were raised the deaths have all but ceased, but the reputation endures: night drivers tell of white figures at the railing, weeping rising from the darkness beneath the span, and faces glimpsed in the whirlpools. Locals call the bridge the most spirit-thick place in the prefecture.

FAQ

Where is Saikai Bridge located?

Saikai Bridge is in Nagasaki, Japan.