Eshima Ohashi Bridge, Bridge in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, Japan
Eshima Ohashi Bridge is a roadway crossing Lake Nakaumi that links Matsue in Shimane Prefecture with Sakaiminato in Tottori. The structure extends about 1.7 kilometers (roughly 1.1 miles) and stands 44 meters (around 144 feet) high to allow ship traffic beneath.
Between 1997 and 2004, engineers built this structure as a solution for traffic between two prefectures. Planners chose this height to avoid a drawbridge and keep road flow constant.
The nickname "Betabumi-zaka" (pedal-to-the-floor slope) comes from a 2013 Daihatsu Tanto Custom commercial starring Go Ayano and Etsushi Toyokawa, filmed to show a kei car climbing without flooring the accelerator. The name Eshima Ōhashi means "Great Bridge of Eshima Island".
The bridge carries two lanes with a 40 km/h speed limit, and the climb reaches 44.7 m above the water. The steep look comes from a telephoto view taken from Daikon Island on the opposite shore; from the foot of the bridge the slope is not apparent. The Shimane side rises at 6.1% and the Tottori side at 5.1%.
Photographers shooting from low angles create the optical illusion of an extremely steep slope that made this structure famous on social media. This perspective distorts the actual gradient and makes the roadway appear nearly vertical, though drivers barely notice any challenge.
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