Photo/Illutration With a length of almost 4 kilometers, the Akashi Kaikyo bridge is registered as the longest suspension bridge in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records. (Photo by Lisa Vogt)

“Akashi,” not the Japanese pop group Arashi, conjures up two images. First, the famous TV comedian Akashiya Sanma. And second, octopus.

Did you know that the plural form of octopus is octopi? If you ask me, it’s not, but some pseudo-grammarians like to hypercorrect and say that it is. Only words with Latin roots use “i” as a suffix, and the eight-legged ocean creature’s name derives from Greek. So, if you ever see or hear someone say “octopi,” you have my permission to read the riot act to them.

The Akashi Strait lies between Honshu and Awaji island. The waters, with their strong tidal currents, are known for their tasty octopus. It’s also one of Japan’s busiest sea lanes, with freighters, tankers, fishing vessels and passenger ships making their way along the strait 24/7.

The Akashi Kaikyo bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the world. When I first heard this, I assumed it meant that it was the longest from edge to edge or land to land. But wait, I said to myself, I’ve crossed bridges that were much longer.

I looked into it and learned that suspension bridges are measured by the distance between towers. Oh, OK. Then the thought occurred to me that there are all kinds of bridges, but what exactly is a suspension bridge? After all, aren’t all bridges suspended in the air?

A trip to the Bridge Museum in Maiko Park next to the bridge answered all my questions and made me realize what a marvel of engineering the Akashi Kaikyo bridge is.

A suspension bridge is like a hammock. The weight of the person in the hammock, the distance between the trees that hold up the hammock, and the tree trunk size, height and branch locations holding the hammock must all be calculated. The hammock must be placed where the tension (the stretch) and compression (the shrink) is just right. What a balancing act!

Situated in an area known for fierce gale winds and earthquakes, the Akashi Kaikyo bridge took a whole lot of brains and sweat to make. Typhoons and tremors? Check. During its construction, the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995 struck, and minor revisions were implemented. This became a dry run for whatever Mother Nature may hurl.

Dry air is pumped to the main cables to protect them from corrosion, and the bridge is designed to last at least 200 years while keeping maintenance costs manageable.

Like a million octopuses side by side with multiple arms linked, the bridge is strong, flexible and resilient. Is that image a bit weird? Sorry.

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This article by Lisa Vogt, a Washington-born and Tokyo-based photographer, originally appeared in the May 23 issue of Asahi Weekly. It is part of the series "Lisa’s Wanderings Around Japan," which depicts various places across the country through the perspective of the author, a professor at Meiji University.

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