Those wanting to make their way across Kintaikyo Bridge should be aware that it requires paying a small fee of JPY310 for adults and JPY150 for children under twelve. During the day, you can purchase an entry ticket at a booth located right at the start of the bridge. Here you can also get a special discount ticket which includes entry to the nearby Iwakuni Castle and a roundtrip on the castle ropeway. At night, the booth is closed but it is still possible to cross the bridge, with the expectation that visitors will deposit the fee inside a toll box.
Kintaikyo Bridge is particularly stunning during Japan’s cherry blossom season, when the trees lining the riverbank bloom into a dazzling sea of pink. The bridge is considered one of the best cherry blossom viewing spots in Japan, and is visited by a great amount of tourists in the months of April and May. If you're interested in stopping by this iconic location during the spring or any other time of the year, you can find more information about its location, how to get there, and tours visiting the bridge below.
-- Tours Visiting Kintaikyo Bridge
WHERE IS KINTAIKYO BRIDGE?
Kintaikyo Bridge is located in the city of Iwakuni, which lies to the east of Yamaguchi Prefecture. It is about a 15-minute bus ride away from Iwakuni Station and forms part of the "Iwakuni Castle Town." Even though Iwakuni is in a different prefecture than Hiroshima, the city is less than an hour away by train from Hiroshima Station. The bridge crosses the Nishiki River, the longest river in the prefecture.
HISTORY OF KINTAIKYO BRIDGE
The Kikkawa Clan, a prominent clan during the Sengoku (Warring States) period, was granted control of Iwakuni and its surrounding area in the early 17th century. The head of the family, Hiroie Kikkawa, decided to establish his castle in an area of Iwakuni known as Yokoyama, which was well protected by the Nishiki River and surrounding mountains. In order to connect the castle town to the area separated by the river, Hiroie ordered the construction of a bridge. However, this bridge would wash away every time the Nishiki River flooded, which lead to a desire to design and build a flood-proof bridge in the near future.
The third lord of Iwakuni, Hiroyoshi Kikkawa, was the one who eventually stumbled upon the solution to this problem. He had obtained a book about China’s West Lake from the monk Obaku Dokuryu, and within it he saw an illustration of a six-arched bridge which connected several small islands. It is said that this is how Hiroyoshi got inspiration for the design of Kintaikyo Bridge. After much research, the construction of the bridge was finalized in 1673.
Unfortunately, just one year after the bridge had been inaugurated, it was washed away when the stone piers collapsed. But the people of Iwakuni were not discouraged by this event and restoration work began immediately after the bridge’s destruction. The reconstruction was completed within the same year, and Kintaikyo Bridge stood strong up until 1950 when it was swept away by a typhoon. However, once again, reconstruction commenced soon after this unfortunate event, resulting in the present-day bridge. Though the Kintaikyo Bridge we can gaze upon and cross today is not the original one, its beauty and technological value remain exactly the same.
DESIGN AND ENGINEERING
Kintaikyo Bridge is made up of five continuous wooden arches, a structure which is unique around the world. It is 193.3 meters long and 5 meters wide. The three central arches are each 35.1 meters long, while the two end ones both span 34.8 meters. Different types of timber were used when constructing the bridge, taking advantage of various characteristics such as hardness, flexibility, smoothness, decay-resistance, etc. The stones which are part of the substructures of the bridge were taken from quarries on Mount Iwakuni, and though the bridge has been washed away in the past, most of the stones remaining today are the original ones.
To address the challenges of using wood to form an arch shape, a series of components were combined together to create the distinctive “Kintaikyo-type arch.” These components are beams, wedges, crossbeams, and ridge beams. The beams are laid on top of each other, with certain amounts protruding out at angles to form the arch. Space left in between the beams is filled up with a wedge and beams laying parallel to each other are held in place using crossbeams. Ridge beams help connect opposite elements of the bridge meeting together at the center. Lastly, metallic belts bind the different components to further strengthen the bridge.
TOURS VISITING
We offer two different tours which include a stop by Kintaikyo Bridge, both departing from and ending at Hiroshima Station. On these tours you will explore the "Iwakuni Castle Town" by crossing the famed bridge, taking the ropeway up Mount Shiroyama, and touring the inside of Iwakuni Castle. Throughout the tour, your guide will provide you with detailed background information about the history of the city and its significant cultural heritage. Of course, the two tours include additional activities to enhance the overall experience, so take a look at the additional information below to find the tour which best matches your interests.
On this 1-day tour of Iwakuni, you will be able to fully immerse yourself in the arts and culture of the city of Iwakuni and wider Japan. You will have the opportunity to take part in a seal engraving workshop and carve a Chinese character of your choice upon a square stone. It is said that the man who popularized seal engraving in Japan was the same one who provided the inspiration for Kintaikyo Bridge, thus this activity will provide a window into Iwakuni's culture and past. By the end of the seal engraving experience, you will have learned a new skill and have a unique souvenir to take home with you!
This second tour will allow you to explore two of Japan's most iconic landscapes: Kintaikyo Bridge and the "floating" Itsukushima Shrine. We take advantage of the fact that these locations are about 45 minutes away from each other in order to give you the opportunity to visit both on the same day. Not only will you stop by all of the previously mentioned sightseeing spots in Iwakuni, but also tour the breathtaking island of Miyajima. This small but renowned island is considered one of Japan's top scenic locations and is home to a shrine which appears to float on water during high tide. The unique landscapes of Iwakuni and Miyajima cannot be experienced anywhere else in the country, making them a must-see for any travelers visiting Western Japan.
If you're interested in learning about other tours in the surrounding area, you can take a look at our "Best Tours around Hiroshima" page.