Bucket List: Kintai-kyo

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Japan, Iwakuni

A beautiful wooden arch bridge, the Kintai-kyo in Japan's western prefecture of Yamaguchi was originally built around 1673. With a history dating more than 350 years, the bridge spans over the Nishiki River, overlook by the Iwakuni Castle on top of Mount Yokoyama. 

The original article was first posted in this blog on 4 July 2021.

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When I travel, I typically do not have a fixed itinerary or a list of sights to experience. My preference being to wander around without any fixed plans while hoping to serendipitously chance upon local gems not listed in any travel guide books. But occasionally, I did have an item on my to-do-to-visit list which I usually picked up while browsing magazines or watching travel shows on TV.

The Kintai-kyo is one such item. Having been "introduced" to this historical wooden arch bridge while watching a travel documentary on Japan's NHK channel, I decided that when the opportunity presented itself, I will try to visit this local icon in the city of Iwakuni. That opportunity came in July 2019 when I visited the nearby city of Hiroshima. Taking the local train line from Hiroshima, it was easy to get to Iwakuni in neighbouring Yamaguchi Prefecture. Switching from the train to a local bus after arriving at Iwakuni Station, I finally arrived at Kintai-kyo which spans across the Nishiki River. 

Being a weekday, there were not many people in the area and this afforded me good photographic opportunities of the bridge and the surrounding areas. For the record, I also paid and took the ropeway to visit the nearby Iwakuni Castle located at the summit of Mount Yokoyama. I spent a full day at Iwakuni including walks around the city centre, having coffee breaks in-between at quaint little cafes as well as savouring delicious local food with an early dinner before heading back to Hiroshima.

Myself posing for a photograph taken with my own DSLR camera by a local gentleman who was fishing at the Nishiki River, Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan (2019)

Kintai-kyo, Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan (2019)

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