Visited 23.04.2015 (Thu)
Famous bridge. Iwakuni city is located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, at the border to Hiroshima Prefecture. The first thing that most people will relate this city to is Kintaikyo. This iconic bridge has been named one of the three most famous bridge in Japan, alongside Nihonbashi 日本橋 in Tokyo and Meganebashi 眼鏡橋 in Nagasaki Prefecture. The architecturally sophisticated wooden bridge which spans across Nishiki River is made up of five arches; the centre three being more pronounced (standing at 13 m high) than the arches at both ends. First constructed more than 400 years ago in 1673, the idea of constructing a formidable bridge that could resist floods catalysed the creation of Kintaikyo. The original bridge stood faithfully for a remarkable timeframe of 276 years before it was destroyed in 1950 by a violent typhoon. The bridge was reconstructed later on and continues to undergo maintenance/sectional replacement to ensure that it is kept in tip top condition for future generations to admire.
Complexity. Kintaikyo itself is a piece of traditional artwork that will make anyone awe in admiration. Observing the bridge from afar, it can be quite mind boggling to figure out how these uniform and perfect curvatures were created by mankind in the past. The refined and complex woodwork truly requires quality engineering design and technique to accomplish. To me, it was mind blowing to know that such excellent bridging technology was in existence centuries ago. I have to say being able to see and walk on this gorgeous architecture was a dream come true for me! Most people (like myself before the visit) will think that the best way to come close to Kintaikyo is to pay for the admission ticket to cross the bridge. However, after this visit, I feel that there are other better viewing spots in the vicinity, providing a better overview of this structure and its surroundings, which should not be missed.
Famous bridge. Iwakuni city is located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, at the border to Hiroshima Prefecture. The first thing that most people will relate this city to is Kintaikyo. This iconic bridge has been named one of the three most famous bridge in Japan, alongside Nihonbashi 日本橋 in Tokyo and Meganebashi 眼鏡橋 in Nagasaki Prefecture. The architecturally sophisticated wooden bridge which spans across Nishiki River is made up of five arches; the centre three being more pronounced (standing at 13 m high) than the arches at both ends. First constructed more than 400 years ago in 1673, the idea of constructing a formidable bridge that could resist floods catalysed the creation of Kintaikyo. The original bridge stood faithfully for a remarkable timeframe of 276 years before it was destroyed in 1950 by a violent typhoon. The bridge was reconstructed later on and continues to undergo maintenance/sectional replacement to ensure that it is kept in tip top condition for future generations to admire.
Complexity. Kintaikyo itself is a piece of traditional artwork that will make anyone awe in admiration. Observing the bridge from afar, it can be quite mind boggling to figure out how these uniform and perfect curvatures were created by mankind in the past. The refined and complex woodwork truly requires quality engineering design and technique to accomplish. To me, it was mind blowing to know that such excellent bridging technology was in existence centuries ago. I have to say being able to see and walk on this gorgeous architecture was a dream come true for me! Most people (like myself before the visit) will think that the best way to come close to Kintaikyo is to pay for the admission ticket to cross the bridge. However, after this visit, I feel that there are other better viewing spots in the vicinity, providing a better overview of this structure and its surroundings, which should not be missed.
My recommendations:
(1) Venture beneath the bridge! If you are curious to find out how Kintaikyo was constructed, do descend the stairs located on the river bank in order to view the bridge from beneath. While standing below the bridge, I was amazed to see how elaborate the skeletal structure of bridge was and was yet again impressed by the wisdom of mankind. Apart from that, you get to come close to Nishiki River and see for yourself how clean and transparent the waters are.
(2) Capture a mirror image of the bridge! Before crossing the bridge, turn right and walk along the river bank for another 5 minutes until you reach a road bridge. Standing on this road bridge, a spectacular view of Kintaikyo, Nishiki River and its mountainous surroundings could be captured. As I was blessed with good weather and calm river waters on the day of my visit, a clear reflection of Kintaikyo could be observed on the surface of Nishiki River too!
(3) Go as high as possible! One important sightseeing spot to check in is the tenshukaku of Iwakuni Castle. In my opinion, this is the best place to capture a panoramic and breathtaking view of this iconic landmark, the meandering Nishiki River and its co-existence with the local town. A bird's eye view of Kintaikyo from a high altitude gives visitors an entirely different perspective of this bridge.
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Kintaikyo 錦帯橋
山口県岩国市横山
Operating hours: 24 hours
Entrance fee = 300 yen
http://kintaikyo.iwakuni-city.net/
* Kintaikyo, Ropeway and Iwakuni Castle set ticket 錦帯橋、ロープウェイ、岩国城セット券 = 940 yen
How to get there?
(1) Iwakuni Bus 岩国バス
At Shin Iwakuni JR Station Bus Stop 1, board the bus heading for Kintaikyo and Iwakuni JR Station (岩国駅～錦帯橋～新岩国駅) and alight at Kintaikyo.
Bus schedule:
- Weekdays: http://www.iwakuni-bus.com/timetable20171001/route/1001visitors.weekday.pdf
- Weekends and public holidays: http://www.iwakuni-bus.com/timetable20171001/route/1001visitors.holiday.pdf
Train fares and duration:
- Between Shin-Iwakuni JR Station and Kintaikyo = 350 yen, 13 minutes
