Kintai Bridge, Wooden arch bridge in Iwakuni, Japan
Kintai Bridge spans the Nishiki River in five wooden arches carried on four stone piers, with two timber piers at the banks. The three central spans are 35.1 metres each and the two end spans 34.8 metres, giving a total length of 193.3 metres and a width of 5 metres. The arches are built from layered timber held by metal belts, and the pale stone piers flare at the base.
Kikkawa Hiroyoshi, third lord of Iwakuni, had the bridge built in 1673 after floods repeatedly destroyed earlier crossings; the stone piers were rebuilt stronger the next year. It stood 276 years until Typhoon Kijia washed it away on 14 September 1950, when wartime neglect and upstream logging had weakened it. Reconstruction began in February 1951 and was finished on 15 January 1953, with wooden superstructure on reinforced-concrete piers raised 1 m.
The name Kintai-kyō took hold only after the bridge was finished; earlier records call it Ōhashi, and it was also known as Ryōun-bashi, Goryū-bashi, Taiun-bashi and Soroban-bashi. The first written use of the name appears in a document by Utsunomiya Tōnan. The bridge and neighbouring Kikkō Park are listed among Japan's 100 best cherry-blossom spots.
The bridge is for pedestrians only; vehicles are banned, and damaging it can lead to charges under the Cultural Properties Protection Act. The toll booth operates from 8:00 to 17:00, until 19:00 in summer; outside those hours, pay at the night collection box. Crossing is possible around the clock, with illumination until 22:00. Buses from Shin-Iwakuni Station take about 15 minutes to the Kintai Bridge stop.
The entire construction avoids nails, relying instead on wooden wedges combined with metal bands that secure individual components. This modular approach permits the replacement of damaged or worn pieces without disassembling the overall structure, ensuring both longevity and ecological sustainability of the historic crossing.
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