KOBE -- The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the world's longest suspension bridge, looks superb as it spans the Akashi Strait, linking Kobe and Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture.
Nearly three years after opening in April 1998, however, the future of the 3,911-meter bridge is hanging in the balance, with its operation creaking under the burden of snowballing debts.
The Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Authority -- a special public entity that operates a set of roads and bridges connecting Honshu and Shikoku on three routes, including that over the Akashi Strait -- is currently forced to spend 200 yen for every 100 yen it churns out in revenue.