Japan’s National Treasure in Iwakuni - Kintaikyo

Kintaikyo is a pedestrian wooden bridge with 5 arches that spreads over the Nishiki River in the city of Iwakuni, it was built in 1673 and was declared a National Treasure in 1922. The arches requires regular maintenance- rebuilding the center 3 arches every 20 years and the two connecting to the banks every 40 years. Consequently the bridge remained intact for over 276 years until washed away by flood during a typhoon in 1950. It was reconstructed following the original in 1953. Walking across the bridge requires a small fee of¥300 for adults and ¥150 for children from 8am- 5pm. On the right bank of the bridge, there is a statue of one of the eight former prime ministers from Yamaguchi Prefecture- more than any other prefecture in Japan. We arrived on a rainy day when the water level was very high. The low clouds also added more beauty to the bridge and the surrounding mountains. #yamaguchiprefecture #iwakuni #kintaikyo