291.6 metres with no railings: the longest bridge the river swallows when it floods.
The Shimanto, 196 km, is the longest river in Shikoku and is called ‘the last clear river in Japan’ because no large dam blocks its main course. It is crossed by 47 chinkabashi, bridges without railings built to be submerged during floods instead of being swept away; the one at Sada, the closest to the sea, is the longest of them all at 291.6 metres, and its light-blue spans are the most photographed image of the river.
The river was called the Watari-gawa until 1994, when its name was changed to Shimanto-gawa: the first revision of a river's name under the Japanese river law. It appears in three national lists: 100 famous waters, 100 remote places, 100 headwater forests.
ℹ️ Free car park with 50 spaces; reachable by taxi (20 min) from Nakamura Station. Can be crossed on foot or by car when not submerged.
Holidays in Japan? Plan them with us.Over 2,000 real places, a day-by-day itinerary.FreeOpen the map →Sources: ja.wikipedia.org · city.shimanto.lg.jp