"Kintaikyou-bridge" and Iwakuni castle (Yamaguchi Prefecture)

"Kintaikyou-bridge" is one of the 3 bridges in Japan, and a wooden bridge where Japan is represented. The arch of five reams of a peculiar appearance was specified for the place of scenic beauty in the country by the feature as for this bridge in 1922.

Address Yamaguchi Prefecture Iwakuni City
Traffic and access It is 4.5km in the second in national road line from San-yo car road and Iwakuni IC.
Parking lot There is a temporary parking lot at a multi guest only a multi guest charged.
Insertion bridge fee The adult: The round trip 300 yen  child is half the price.
Ropeway The adult: round trip 540 yen  child: 250 yen about  three minutes Every  20 minutes
Iwakuni castle
admission fees
Adult: 260 yen  child: 120 yen
Map Map in the vicinity of "Kintaikyou-bridge"

History of "Kintaikyou-bridge" and Iwakuni castle

Kintaikyou-bridge

The founder feudal lord in the Iwakuni clan moved to Iwakuni in 1600. And, the Iwakuni castle was fortified to about 200m of ground in the fortress of nature enclosed by meandering "Nishiki-river" in the top of a mountain in 1608.

The third generation feudal lord's "Kikkawa-Hiroyoshi" ordered the vassal constructing a bridge to the brocade river, and "Kintaikyou-bridge" that was the earnest wish of the Iwakuni clan was completed in 1673.

After that, the bridge repeated the outflow and rebuilding. The present one is the one rebuilt in 2004. The length of "Kintaikyou-bridge" is 193.3m in straight line and along the bridge face 210m, width is wide with 5m, and the height of the bridge abutment is 6.64m.

Crossing the "Kintaikyou-bridge"

Crossing the "Kintaikyou-bridge"

This "Kintaikyou-bridge" did after the model of "Kintaikyou-bridge" in "Seiko" in Hangzhou in China and was constructed in 1673.

The pier in the bridge at both ends of the bridge of five reams is wooden. As for the edge of the river, because the flow is loose, and depth is shallow, the bridge might be able to be endured by this structure. The arch was also gradual.

A sudden part to incline becomes like the stairs. It was stuffed with the one like the caulking material like being watertight the seam of the tree and the tree.

"Kintaikyou-bridge" seen from ropeway Station of the mountain top

"Kintaikyou-bridge" seen from ropeway Station of the mountain top

It is "Kintaikyou-bridge" seen from ropeway "Station of the mountain top". The whole image of the bridge is understood well when seeing on.

I was very surprised making such the huge one in Edo period only from the tree.

A lot of cherry blossoms trees were in the west shore of "Kintaikyou-bridge", and Somei-Yoshino cherry tree was just full-bloomed.

Iwakuni castle tower

Iwakuni castle tower

The founder Iwakuni feudal lord fortified the Iwakuni castle in the Yokoyama top of a mountain in 1608.

A present castle tower is the one restored in 1962. It is Momoyama style southern barbarians make of four pile six floor (Tang Dynasty make). The southern barbarians make is a style of architecture that makes the top floor more greatly than the lower layer, and omits the roof between those. Swords, armors, and armors had been exhibited in the castle tower.

Moreover, it seems to move it from the old castle proper mark to about 50m south as seen from "Kintaikyou-bridge" well when the castle is restored. (From ropeway top of the mountain station to 5 minutes on foot)

Well at Iwakuni castle

Well at Iwakuni castle

This well is told that the well where it provided with the escape hatch when the storage such as the arms and ammunitions in the emergency is aimed at by the one made at the same time as fortifying it in 1608 , it is encircled by the enemy or it is exposed to the crisis of the fall.

The bottom looked so not deep the well. Water had not collected. It cannot know deeper in old times.

This well was considerably in the west from a present castle tower. Was there an old castle proper near here if it used it for the escape hatch of the emergency?

Ropeway climbs Iwakuni castle mountain

Ropeway climbs Iwakuni castle mountain

It is a ropeway climbs the Iwakuni castle. It will arrive in about three minutes for getting on of 30 people. Operation was done every about 20 minutes. When returning, circumstances were spoken and put for me though had dropped the round-trip ticket on the way.

Near ropeway "Station of the mountain top", there was a mechanism clock. I was not able to see because there was no time though I wanted to see because it was the unusual one. It seems to seem that the glass becomes transparent.