Based on the world record nomination from the Asia Records Institute (ASRI) and Decision No. WK/USA.INDIA/1429/2026/No.884, World Records Union (WorldKings) officially declared the Yumemai as the world’s first floating swing bridge.

The Yumemai Bridge (Japanese: Yumemai Ōhashi) is a unique movable bridge located in the Konohana district of Osaka. It spans the North Waterway of the Port of Osaka and connects two artificial islands, Yumeshima and Maishima. The structure is widely recognized as the world’s first floating swing bridge, meaning that its central section rests on floating pontoons and can rotate to allow ships to pass through the waterway.

The bridge is supported by two large steel pontoons that float on the water rather than relying on conventional pillars fixed to the seabed. This design was chosen because the seabed in the area is relatively soft, making traditional bridge foundations difficult to build. When large vessels need to pass, part of the bridge can be pivoted and swung aside with the help of tugboats, widening the navigation channel so ships can travel through safely.

Construction of the Yumemai Bridge began in 1999, and the main floating swing bridge structure was completed in 2001, marking the first time such a design had been built anywhere in the world. The bridge later opened to regular traffic on 1 August 2009, becoming an important road link between the two reclaimed islands and part of Osaka’s harbor transportation network.

Today, the Yumemai Bridge is both a functional transportation route and a notable example of innovative marine engineering. Its combination of floating support, swing mechanism, and arch bridge design demonstrates how engineers solved the challenges posed by deep water and soft seabed conditions while still allowing large ships to access the port.

According to the Internet