Kintai Bridge

The Kintai-kyo Bridge has been Iwakuni’s most distinctive landmark since its construction in 1673. Entirely made of wood, and this without the use of any nails, the Kintai bridge is composed of five arches sitting on top of massive stones pillars crossing over the Nishiki river and located on the foot of Mt. Yokoyama where Iwakuni castle is situated.

In fact it was only after the construction of the Iwakuni Castle, completed in 1608, that the first lord of Iwakuni domain, Kikkawa Hiroie, started the construction of a series of wooden bridges. Unsuccessful until 1673, with most of the bridges were destroyed by floods, it was under the order of the third lord of the Iwakuni domain, Kikkawa Hiroyoshi, that the actual Kintai bridge was built. This time it involved a revolutionary new design where stone piers would replace wooden ones alongside a greater series of wooden arches.