Even if you don't know the name of Kintaikyo Bridge, you may have seen a picture
of a wooden bridge that consists of five arches.
That is the Kintaikyo Bridge.
-History
In 1601, when the lord of the domain, Hiroie Kikkawa, was given the territory of Iwakuni area where current Kintaikyo Bridge is located, he immediately started developing the castle town.
Since it was right after a long war, he put more weight on defense; he built a castle on the mountain as a fort and a dwelling at the foot, and he formed the city with a 200-meter-wide Nishiki river as a moat.
The lower-class samurai who lived outside of the moat had to across the Nishiki River on a daily basis, but they often faced the problem of the bridge being washed away; therefore, he tried to build a bridge that imitates the bridge descried in the book about West Lake in Hangzhou, China.
After repeated trial and error, the bridge that won’t be washed away was completed finally in 1673.
Improvement was repeatedly held after that.
It was washed away again by a typhoon in 1950, but two years after, with the change of the foundation to be made of concrete, the bridge was reconstructed in almost the original shape.
Now, as it became common to travel by car, the wooden arch bridge that only allows pedestrians is quite rare, and is also incomparably beautiful.
"San-kin-kou-tai", in other words, participation change, is a system that officially began in 1635, in which local Daimyos went back and forth between the capital Edo and their own territories every other year, whereas their wives and children had to be left in Edo as hostages.
The Daimyo procession means that a lord, who ruled a certain range of territory, headed for Edo (present day of Tokyo) with a long line, due to the participation change.
A demonstration of the Iwakuni clan matchlock corps is also held.
With Kintaikyo Bridge that hasn't changed in shape from those days and the performance by people who are reproduce of those days, you will feel as if you are time traveling in the 17th century in Japan.
That is the Kintaikyo Bridge.
-History
-Festival
-Access
The history of the bridge
In 1601, when the lord of the domain, Hiroie Kikkawa, was given the territory of Iwakuni area where current Kintaikyo Bridge is located, he immediately started developing the castle town.
Since it was right after a long war, he put more weight on defense; he built a castle on the mountain as a fort and a dwelling at the foot, and he formed the city with a 200-meter-wide Nishiki river as a moat.
The lower-class samurai who lived outside of the moat had to across the Nishiki River on a daily basis, but they often faced the problem of the bridge being washed away; therefore, he tried to build a bridge that imitates the bridge descried in the book about West Lake in Hangzhou, China.
After repeated trial and error, the bridge that won’t be washed away was completed finally in 1673.
Improvement was repeatedly held after that.
It was washed away again by a typhoon in 1950, but two years after, with the change of the foundation to be made of concrete, the bridge was reconstructed in almost the original shape.
Now, as it became common to travel by car, the wooden arch bridge that only allows pedestrians is quite rare, and is also incomparably beautiful.
Festival
On this bridge, a march that imitates the Daimyo procession taken place at the time of "San-kin-kou-tai" during the Edo period, is performed April 29th every year."San-kin-kou-tai", in other words, participation change, is a system that officially began in 1635, in which local Daimyos went back and forth between the capital Edo and their own territories every other year, whereas their wives and children had to be left in Edo as hostages.
The Daimyo procession means that a lord, who ruled a certain range of territory, headed for Edo (present day of Tokyo) with a long line, due to the participation change.
A demonstration of the Iwakuni clan matchlock corps is also held.
With Kintaikyo Bridge that hasn't changed in shape from those days and the performance by people who are reproduce of those days, you will feel as if you are time traveling in the 17th century in Japan.
Access
From Hiroshima Station
It takes about 50 min. by JR Sanyo-Line from Hiroshima Sta. to Iwakuni Sta., and about 15 min. by bus from Iwakuni Sta..
It takes about 50 min. by JR Sanyo-Line from Hiroshima Sta. to Iwakuni Sta., and about 15 min. by bus from Iwakuni Sta..
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