Kintaikyo Bridge

What to know

The Kintaikyo Bridge (錦帯橋, Kintaikyō) has been Iwakuni's most iconic landmark and a source of admiration for centuries. This graceful wooden bridge spans the Nishiki River with five bold arches supported by massive stone pillars.

Plans for Kintaikyo were first drawn after strong currents repeatedly destroyed earlier bridges 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. Completed in 1673, the bridge was destroyed again by floods the following year, but then stood firm until 1950, when a violent typhoon struck Iwakuni.

With the country still recovering from war, maintenance of cultural properties was neglected. As a result, the nearly 300-year-old bridge collapsed while desperate townspeople watched, unable to divert the raging current. Soon after, determined residents began building an exact replica of their beloved bridge, which was completed in 1953.

Unusually for a pedestrian bridge, visitors must pay a fee to cross at a toll booth. The booth is unmanned at night, and pedestrians crossing after dark are asked to deposit the fee into a toll box. The bridge is illuminated most evenings until 10:00 pm.

Buses run from both Iwakuni Station and Shin-Iwakuni Station to the 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).