Want to go
ENG
JPCHI

‹ Yamaguchi

Kintaikyo BridgeKintaikyo Bridge
Photo: MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0

Historic wooden arch bridge · YamaguchiWeb-checked · Aug ’26

Kintaikyo Bridge

Save

Five wooden arches cross 193 meters of the Nishiki river, below Iwakuni Castle's hill.

Under the arches you can step down to the riverbed, and in summer children wade among small fish.

MoreWhat kind of place

Kintaikyo is a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty. The third lord of Iwakuni built the first one in 1673, and a flood on the Nishiki River washed it away almost at once.

The bridge that replaced it in 1674 lasted 276 years, until a typhoon flood took it in 1950. Local people pushed for wood again, and the bridge standing today went up in 1953.

Five arches carry it about 193 meters (633 feet) across the river, its timbers locked together with metal straps and staples in an arched structure that modern bridge engineering still calls faultless.

Sources and evidence (21)
  • Kintaikyo is a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty and one of Japan's best-known wooden bridges.source2026-08-15
  • In 1673, Kikkawa Hiroyoshi, the third lord of Iwakuni, had a wooden bridge built here, and a flood on the Nishiki River washed it away soon after.source2026-08-15
  • The bridge rebuilt the following year, in 1674, held its shape for 276 years, until a flood from Typhoon Kezia swept it away in September 1950.source2026-08-15
  • Strong demand from local residents led to another rebuild in wood, finished in 1953.source2026-08-15
  • A full rebuilding project began in 2002 and was completed in March 2004, with the bridge newly clad in Japanese cypress.source2026-08-15
  • Replacing the wooden parts is a regular tradition going back to the Edo period, when the old bridge was rebuilt roughly each time a new generation of bridge carpenters took over.source2026-08-15
  • The bridge is about 193 meters (633 feet) long, about 210 meters (689 feet) measured along the curving deck, and about 5 meters (16 feet) wide.source2026-08-15
  • It is built with a timber-joinery method using metal straps and staples, and its arched structure is said to be faultless even by the standards of modern bridge engineering.source2026-08-15
  • Cherry blossoms come in spring, cormorant fishing and fireworks fill the summer nights, the natural forest on the castle hill turns color in fall, and snow settles on the arches in winter.source2026-08-15
  • The first and fifth spans have few steps and can be crossed in a wheelchair, but the second through fourth spans are stairs and are hard to manage.source2026-08-15
  • Wheelchairs can be borrowed first-come, first-served: one at the ropeway's base station, two power-assisted ones at the summit station, and one at the Iwakuni tourism association.source2026-08-15
  • Iwakuni Castle has no elevator and plenty of steps inside, which makes getting through it in a wheelchair difficult.source2026-08-15
  • The ropeway platform has a stair lift, so boarding in a wheelchair is possible, though carrying the chair and helping with transfers is up to your own party.source2026-08-15
  • The Shimokawara parking lot below the bridge holds about 300 cars, and the lot beside the Yokoyama riverside field holds about 30.source2026-08-15
  • There are five accessible parking spaces at the Shimokawara lot, three beside the ropeway's base station, and two next to the Yokoyama riverside field, and the Shimokawara lot is gravel.source2026-08-15
  • Coin lockers are at the Kintaikyo bus center, both ropeway stations, JR Iwakuni Station, Shin-Iwakuni Station, and Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport.source2026-08-15
  • Bags can be left at the Kintaikyo bus center for 500 yen per piece from 9:35 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or at the tourist information window in Iwakuni Station from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.source2026-08-15
  • Combination tickets are sold at the Iwakuni Station tourist information desk from 9:00 a.m., the bus center information desk from 9:35 a.m., the bridge ticket booths on both the Iwakuni and Yokoyama sides from 8:00 a.m., and the ropeway station from 9:00 a.m.source2026-08-15
  • For questions about crossing, call the Iwakuni office of Nishikigawa Railway at 0827-41-1477; for parking, the Iwakuni tourism association at 0827-41-2037; for anything else, the city's Kintaikyo section at 0827-29-5107.source2026-08-15
  • The city visitor center, Honke Matsugane, sells a collectible bridge stamp for 300 yen in the standard version or 500 yen for the premium one, and it is not available by mail.source2026-08-15
  • Honke Matsugane rents bicycles from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for 800 yen for three hours or 2,000 yen for the day, but it has only three bikes, and rentals stop in bad weather.source2026-08-15
With kidsThe part that matters

A bridge sounds like a five-minute stop, but at either end of this one you can walk down to the riverbed. In summer the shallows hold small fish, and kids get into the water before anyone gets around to crossing.

The three middle spans are stairs, so one of you ends up carrying the stroller over them: leave the rest of your bags at the bus center nearby, which has coin lockers and a paid bag drop, and you cross with your hands free.

If you want the ropeway and the castle on the hill too, buy the combination ticket before you cross — it costs 170 yen less than the three bought separately, and a plain crossing ticket cannot be swapped for it later. All three together take an hour and a half to two hours.

Sources and evidence (5)
  • October with two elementary schoolers. Walking over a bridge was new to them. 40 minutes, then the lit bridge at night.sourceParents' visit reports · 2025
  • Early March with a school-age daughter. The arches hit harder in person; tired from the drive, they only crossed.sourceParents' visit reports · 2026
  • All timber, and the curves turn into stairs. Musashi's soft-serve was shut, so lotus-root chips at Panther instead.sourceParents' visit reports · 2024
  • Summer with a 7- and an 11-year-old. The river won over the bridge: 40 minutes in the shallows, small fish included.sourceParents' visit reports · 2023
  • An hour by express bus from the Hiroshima Bus Center in Sogo, only about one an hour. Parts of the bridge are stairs.sourceParents' visit reports · 2025
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
  • Ages 0-1From the foot of the bridge you can walk down to the riverbed, where a baby in your arms looks up at the five wooden arches from below - you get the bridge without crossing it. Infants cross free, and since the bridge is open 24 hours with no reservation, you can go around a nap.Arches 2 to 4 are stairs, so a stroller only gets you across the first and fifth arches, which have few steps; switch to a carrier to cross. Bags can be left at the Kintaikyo Bus Center baggage counter (500 yen per item, 9:35-17:00) or in a coin locker. The wooden deck is slippery in rain or snow, and the bridge is sometimes closed when the Nishiki river is high or the wind and rain are strong.
  • Ages 2-3The bridge is five arches, so it climbs and drops, climbs and drops. A child can take the steps one at a time on their own feet and cross all 193 meters. In summer you go down to the riverbed at the foot of the bridge and wade in the shallows among the small fish.The bridge has steps and turns slippery in rain or snow, so cross hand in hand. A stroller cannot get up the stairs of arches 2 to 4. Infants cross free (adults 310 yen, elementary students 150 yen; prices change from 1 September 2026). When no one is at the toll booth, you put the fee in the night box and cross.
  • Ages 4-6They can walk the whole 193 meters of wooden bridge themselves, then ride the ropeway up to Iwakuni Castle on the hill. Bridge, ropeway and castle together make a 1.5- to 2-hour circuit. Down on the riverbed you can look up at the joinery - the iron bands and cramps that hold the arches together.If the castle is the plan, buy the set ticket (bridge, ropeway and castle; 970 yen adults, 460 yen elementary students) at the start - a bridge ticket cannot be swapped for a set ticket later. The ropeway runs 9:00-17:00 at :00, :15, :30 and :45, with the last car up and down at 17:00, and the castle closes at 16:45. The castle has no elevator inside and plenty of steps, so go up before legs give out.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
  • Rainy dayThe bridge gets slippery in rain or snow, and crossing can be closed when the Nishiki river runs high or in a typhoon or heavy wind and rain. The bridge also has steps.
  • Hot dayNot checked yet
  • Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed1.5 h

our estimate

Family checks
Tap a mark for details
* Other not checked (3)

Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool, Child switch (rider swap)

Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.

Worth a look before you go

Save

Where to go next

Where it is

Before you go

More notes (2)
  • The area around the bridge is a no-littering zone, and smoking on the street there is banned as well.source2026-08-15
  • Pets may cross the bridge as long as they do not relieve themselves on it or otherwise soil it, but they cannot go inside Iwakuni Castle.source2026-08-15

Basics

Basics in detail (10)
Fees
  • Prices change on September 1, 2026.source2026-08-15
  • Through August 31, 2026, crossing costs 310 yen for adults (junior high school age and up) or 260 yen in a group, and 150 yen for elementary school students or 120 yen in a group, with preschoolers free.source2026-08-15
  • The crossing ticket is round-trip only, with no one-way price, and it is sold only on the day of your visit.source2026-08-15
  • The current combination ticket covers the bridge, the ropeway, and Iwakuni Castle for 970 yen for adults and 460 yen for elementary school students, which is 170 yen less than buying the three separately; allow an hour and a half to two hours for all three.source2026-08-15
  • Group rates apply from 15 people, counting adults and elementary school students together.source2026-08-15
  • For a regular car, the Shimokawara lot is free on weekdays and 300 yen on weekends and holidays in March, April, May, September, October, and November, and it is 300 yen a day even on weekdays during cherry blossom season and Golden Week, the run of national holidays from late April into early May.source2026-08-15
Hours and closures
  • The bridge can be crossed 24 hours a day, and when no one is at the ticket booth you put your fee in the night box and cross.source2026-08-15
  • The ropeway runs from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., leaving on the hour and at 15, 30, and 45 minutes past, with the last car in both directions at 5:00 p.m., and the castle is open 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.source2026-08-15
Getting there
  • From stop 1 at the west exit of JR Iwakuni Station, a bus toward Kintaikyo takes about 20 minutes and runs every 10 to 15 minutes, or a taxi takes about 15 minutes.source2026-08-15
  • From Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport it is about 30 minutes by bus, timed to arriving flights, or about 20 minutes by taxi; from Shin-Iwakuni Station it is about 15 minutes by bus or about 10 by taxi.source2026-08-15

Once you've decided

See places nearby

The lord of Iwakuni had a wooden bridge built here in 1673, and the river washed it away almost at once. The improved rebuild stood 276 years, until a typhoon took it in 1950. Townspeople asked for wood again, and the bridge came back in 1953. It is held together with iron bands and clamps, in a joinery whose arched form still impresses bridge engineers. Cherry blossom comes in spring, cormorant fishing works the river in summer, and the hillside turns color in autumn.

Indoor / outdoorOutdoorCompletely outdoors — it is a bridge over the Nishiki river with no cover anywhere on it. Rain and snow make the boards slippery, and high water on the river or a typhoon can close it altogether. If the weather turns, the covered options nearby are Iwakuni Castle at the top of the ropeway (9:00-16:45), the Kikkawa Archives, the Kashiwabara Art Museum and the Iwakuni White Snake Museum, all of which the set ticket discounts.Web-checkedchecked Aug ’26kankou.iwakuni-city.net
Steps & slope cautionMany stepsThe bridge has steps. Of the five spans, the first and the fifth have few steps and can be crossed in a wheelchair, but the second, third and fourth are stairs and are difficult. Rain and snow make them slippery. Iwakuni Castle has no elevator and many steps, so a wheelchair cannot get inside; the ropeway station has a chair lift, though carrying the wheelchair and helping with the transfer is left to you.Web-checkedchecked Aug ’26kankou.iwakuni-city.net
English supportEnglish menu & signsBoth official sites have English pages, and the tourism site also has simplified and traditional Chinese and Korean. Nothing is stated about staff at the tollhouse speaking English.Web-checkedchecked Aug ’26kankou.iwakuni-city.net
Best-fit ages (guide)Extra info — guide onlyYesPre-school children cross free; the child fare is for elementary school, and adult starts at junior high. The crossing is about 193 m of arched wooden spans with steps, and only the first and fifth spans are close to level. Pets may cross the bridge but not enter the castle. Wheelchairs are lent, first come first served, from the ropeway lower station (1), the upper station (2, power-assisted) and the Iwakuni tourist association (1).Web-checkedchecked Aug ’26kankou.iwakuni-city.net
Stroller access notesExtra info — guide onlyYesFrom JR Iwakuni station, the bus for Kintaikyo from stand 1 outside the west exit takes about 20 minutes and runs every 10 to 15 minutes; a taxi is about 15 minutes. From Shin-Iwakuni station it is 15 minutes by bus, 10 by taxi, and from Iwakuni Kintaikyo airport a bus meets the flights and takes about 30 minutes. On the Iwakuni side the bridge is a minute's walk from the Kintaikyo bus stop and a minute from the Shimokawara riverbed parking lot. Shimokawara holds about 300 cars and the parking lot by the Yokoyama riverside ground about 30. Accessible spaces: 5 at Shimokawara, 3 beside the ropeway lower station, 2 at Yokoyama — Shimokawara is gravel, so watch your footing. Coin lockers are at the Kintaikyo bus center, both ropeway stations, JR Iwakuni, Shin-Iwakuni and the airport; luggage can be left at the bus center for ¥500 a piece from 9:35 to 17:00. Littering and smoking on the street are banned around the bridge.Web-checkedchecked Aug ’26kankou.iwakuni-city.net
Stroller friendlyNot checked yet
Stroller rentalNot checked yet
Diaper changing tableNot checked yet
Nursing spaceNot checked yet
Family restroomNot checked yet
Diaper disposal binNot checked yet
Kids' toilet seat & step stoolNot checked yet
ElevatorNoNo elevator anywhere on this outing. Iwakuni Castle, at the top of the ropeway, says in its official FAQ that it "has no elevator and many steps, so entering by wheelchair is difficult". The bridge itself is a flight of arches: the 1st and 5th spans have few steps and can be crossed in a wheelchair, but the 2nd to 4th are stairs. The ropeway boarding point has a stair lift (not an elevator), so you can board in a wheelchair — you carry the chair and manage the transfer yourselves. Wheelchairs are lent free at the ropeway foot station (1), the summit station (2, power-assisted) and the Iwakuni Tourist Association (1), all first-come.Web-checkedchecked Aug ’26kankou.iwakuni-city.net
Outside food allowedNot checked yet
Child switch (rider swap)Not checked yet

Information changes — check the dates above.

Reviews

Ask your AI

Tap the AI you use.

ChatGPTClaudePerplexityGrokGemini

Or copy the prompt and paste it yourself: