Kintaikyo Bridge

Kintaikyo was built in 1673 and is a wooden bridge symbolic of Japan. The bridge is a series of five wooden arches, a rare sight even outside Japan. It is the culmination of masterful techniques and this tradition lives on through the replacement of the bridge rafters.
There are many tourist attractions nearby, including historical buildings such as Iwakuni Castle, the Old Mekata Family's House, and the Nagayamon Gate of the Kagawa Family, as well as art and history museums like the Iwakuni Choko-kan Museum, the Iwakuni Art Museum, and the Iwakuni Shirohebi (white snake) Museum.
The Iwakuni Shirohebi Museum, in particular, is a National Natural Monument and the only place in the world that the "Iwakuni white snake" inhabits. Visitors can learn about the life and history of white snakes through games and scale models.

Street address: 1 Iwakuni, Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi

Access

Route1

From JR Iwakuni Station, take the Iwakuni Bus (about 20 min. / 300 yen); get off at "Kintaikyo"

Route2

From JR Shin-Iwakuni Station, take the Iwakuni Bus (about 10 min./ 350 yen); get off at "Kintaikyo"

Opening Hours: All day

Closed: Open everyday

Fee: Set tickets (Kintaikyo Bridge, ropeway roundtrip, Iwakuni Castle):
junior high school students and older: 940 yen; elementary school students: 450 yen
Kintaikyo Bridge only:
junior high school students and older: 300 yen; elementary school students: 150 yen;
younger than elementary school students: free

Website: http://kintaikyo.iwakuni-city.net/en/

Best season: All year

Point: Looking up at the bridge from below, you can see the "kumiki" technique at work where almost no nails are used and the structure is assembled with wrapped metal and staples.
The Iwakuni Shirohebi Museum is a new facility that opened on March 24, 2016.