Hiroshima
All Season
Kintaikyo Bridge
The Kintaikyo Bridge
The Kintaikyo Bridge (Kintaikyō) has been Iwakuni’s most distinguished landmark and a subject of admiration for hundreds of years. The elegant, wooden bridge makes five bold arches onto massive stone pillars as it crosses over the Nishiki River.
Plans for the Kintaikyo were first drawn up when strong currents had once again destroyed a bridge crossing the Nishiki River. A more durable bridge was commissioned by Kikkawa Hiroyoshi, the third feudal lord of Iwakuni, whose statue stands at the entrance to nearby Kikko Park. After the bridge’s completion in 1673, it kept standing until 1950, when Iwakuni was struck by a violent typhoon.
With the country still exhausted from the war, the maintenance of cultural properties suffered neglect. For this reason, the bridge that had stood for almost 300 years, collapsed as desperate townspeople looked on and futilely tried to divert the ferocious current. Shortly thereafter, determined residents began constructing a precise reconstruction of their cherished bridge. It was completed in 1953.
Rare for a pedestrian bridge, visitors must pay a fee to walk across at a toll booth. The booth is not manned during the night, and pedestrians crossing the bridge at night are asked to deposit the fee into a toll box. The bridge is lit up during most of the year until 22:00.
Access
By Car
The best way to visit The Kintaikyo Bridge is to use private transport / sightseeing taxi in Hiroshima.KingTai Travel has lots of sightseeing taxi in Hiroshima with afforable price.
Buses travel from both Iwakuni Station and Shin-Iwakuni Station to Kintaikyo bus stop. The trip takes 15 minutes and costs 300 yen from Iwakuni Station (buses every 10-20 minutes) or 15 minutes and 350 yen from Shin-Iwakuni Station (1-2 buses per hour).
HOURS & FEES
Opening Time:24hours
Admission fee:
310 yen (round trip over the bridge)
970 yen (bridge, castle and ropeway)
