45 m of real vines, 14 above the river: it is rebuilt from scratch every three years, a month's work.
The suspension bridge, 45 metres long and only 2 wide, crosses 14 metres above the Iya River, in a mountain gorge: walking across it, on wooden planks spaced apart on purpose, you can see the water flowing beneath the soles of your shoes. It is woven from shirakuchi-kazura, a wild vine brought from Upper Kōchi, and is rebuilt from scratch every three years: the reconstruction, done entirely by hand, takes about a month.
One of the three ‘strange’ bridges of Japan (日本三奇橋), in the village of Nishi-Iyayama, municipality of Miyoshi. Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property (重要有形民俗文化財). About 350,000 visitors cross it every year.
ℹ️ Tickets: adults ¥550, children ¥350 (young children free; 2022 fares). Access by mountain road in the municipality of Miyoshi, Nishi-Iyayama-mura Zentoku district; paid car park nearby.
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Nearby
Shōben-kozō, the boy above the Iya Gorge4 kmphoto by メルビル · CC BY-SA 4.0
Iya Onsen5.5 kmphoto by As6022014 · Public domain
Oboke Gorge9.3 kmphoto by Naokijp · CC BY-SA 4.0
Oku-Iya Double Vine Bridge19.1 kmphoto by Koda6029 · CC BY-SA 4.0