Usually, Tokyo’s Rainbow Bridge is illuminated white at night, which may be disappointing for some visitors who have seen dynamic photos of it lit up in actual rainbow colors. According to Japan Airlines, the bridge’s real name is “Tokyo Bay Connector Bridge,” but that was news to me when I first heard it, and I’ve never heard anyone call it that. In years past, the Rainbow Bridge did sometimes live up to its unofficial name in late December.
There’s another pic here, before the fireworks video, where you can see the bridge at sunset and it’s legitimately rainbow-colored. However, when I was there last night on the north promenade, the sun went down around 4:30, and when the lights came on at 5 p.m., it was just “warm white,” the usual winter lighting pattern that they have from November to March. Tonight, it was the same color in the live webcam view from the Fuji News Network’s Odaiba headquarters.
It wasn’t until 7 p.m. last night that the lights went off and then came right back on again, with the bridge rocking the rare rainbow lighting pattern, as it did back on August 26, 2023, when it celebrated its 30th anniversary. This was part of a special, five-minute fireworks show that took place over the Rainbow Bridge on the first four Saturdays of December. The final show last night synchronized the fireworks to Christmas music, and afterward, they left the rainbow illumination on for the weekend holiday crowd to enjoy.
The bridge yesterday evening at sunset before they lit it.
The Rainbow Bridge on December 28, 2014.
The final 2023 fireworks show, seen from Odaiba.