Elegance and Beauty of Kintaikyo Sakura
#cherryblossom2024
Simplicity and elegance without a single nail
The picturesque Kintai Bridge connects the banks of the Nishiki River in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The structure of five high arched spans was built without a single nail from Japanese cypress, chestnut and oak. Kintai-ke changes its appearance at different times of the day and year. He is very popular with photographers and artists, including the master of engraving Hokusai.
Kikko Park begins right behind the bridge: there are houses where samurai once lived.
Recommended
Admire the bridge during the cherry blossom season
Visit Kikko Park and explore the buildings of the XIX century
Walk to Iwakuni Castle and Art Museum
How to get
Kintai Bridge is located near JR Iwakuni Station, where trains arrive from JR Hiroshima, Yamaguchi and Fukuoka stations.
JR Iwakuni Station is served by a train from Hiroshima on the Sanyo Main Line. The Sanyo Shinkansen runs to Shin-Iwakuni Station from Hiroshima and Fukuoka, as well as from Shin-Yamaguchi Station. Kintai-kyo is located between JR Iwakuni and Shin-Iwakuni stations, so you need to take a taxi or bus from either of them to it.
The bridge marked in the Michelin guide
Kintai-kyo is marked by several official titles. It is considered one of the three great bridges of Japan, a place of scenic beauty, and in 2013 even received two Michelin stars.
The bridge was originally built in 1673, but was destroyed by a typhoon in 1950. In 1953, the bridge was restored according to the original sketches. In modern construction, nails are used, but they are made of steel, smelted in a Tatar furnace, from which blades were forged in the old days.
We recommend that you definitely visit the bridge when traveling to the city of Iwakuni — it is very convenient to start exploring local attractions from it.
Sakura around Kinunkaku House in Kikko Park
The colors of the year at the bridge and in Kikko Park
Every year in April, 3,000 sakura trees bloom in Kikko Park and near Kintai Bridge. Autumn colors the foliage with bright colors. Kikko Park is one of the most beautiful places in autumn Iwakuni.
Sakura in Kikko Park
There are several 19th-century wooden buildings in the park, including the magnificent Kikko Shrine, Kinunkaku Hall, a wooden warehouse built in 1885, as well as samurai estates.
Sprinklers allow visitors to cool off in the heat