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Spot guide · MiyakojimaIrabu Ohashi
The longest toll-free bridge in Japan, and the best five minutes of road in the country
Opened in 2015 after nine years of building, Irabu Ohashi runs 3,540 metres from Miyako to Irabu island — the longest bridge in Japan that charges no toll. It humps in the middle to let ships pass beneath, which gives the road a rise and fall like a slow wave, with Miyako blue on both sides the whole way.
For the five thousand people of Irabu it ended a life ruled by ferry timetables and weather — the school run, the hospital, the airport all became a road. For a visitor it is the rare landmark where the experience is the crossing itself: nothing to queue for, nothing to buy, just the water and the engineering.
Five things the plaques won't tell you
- Do not stop on the bridge — there is no stopping lane, and it is enforced. The photographs belong to the lookouts on both ends.
- The far-side lookouts on Irabu face back at the full span — better than anything from the Miyako side.
- On Shimoji island beyond, the 17END lagoon by the airport runway is closed to cars: park before the gate and walk in. Low tide reveals the sandbar.
- Rental cyclists cross it too; if you ride, respect the wind — gusts over the hump are real.
- Fuel and food on Irabu are sparse — this is a cross-and-look excursion, not a lunch stop.
For a visitor it is the rare landmark where the experience is the crossing itself: nothing to queue for, nothing to buy, just the water and the engineering.
Guided days from Miyakojima
Booked before you sail — there is no tour desk at the pier. Booking through these links supports the site.
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Open the guide →Questions people ask here
Can you walk or cycle across Irabu Ohashi?
Yes — there is a walkway and cyclists cross regularly, but respect the scale: 3.5km each way with a climb over the shipping hump, no shade, and real wind. Most port-day visitors cross by car and walk the lookout ends instead, which delivers the same views for a fraction of the clock.
Is 17END worth adding to the bridge?
At low tide, emphatically — the lagoon beside the Shimojishima runway drains to a white sandbar in impossible water. The road to it is closed to vehicles, so you park before the gate and walk about fifteen minutes. Check the tide before committing a short call to it.