Kintai Bridge

This bridge is built over the Nishiki River (Iwakuni River) in Iwakuni City, southeastern Yamaguchi Prefecture. It is a wooden bridge consisting of five arched bridges, and is known as one of the Three Unusual Bridges of Japan, and is also designated as a national scenic spot. The bridge was first constructed in 1673 (Enpo 1) during the reign of Kikkawa Hiroyoshi, the lord of Iwakuni Domain, and is said to have been inspired by Saruhashi Bridge in Kai (Yamanashi Prefecture) and the Six Bridges in the Chinese "Xihu Zhi." The bridge is 210 meters long along the bridge surface, 5 meters wide, and 5 meters high at the abutments. It is a beautiful bridge with an excellent mechanical structure, made of combined wood and using no nails other than metal clasps and clamps. It was a castle gate bridge connecting Yokoyama, where the samurai residences were located, and Nishimi, the castle town. After undergoing several repairs, it retained its original appearance, but was washed away in the great flood of Typhoon Kizia in 1950 (Showa 25), and was rebuilt in 1953. The current bridge replaced the bridge that was rebuilt in 1953, and was completed in 2004 (Heisei 16). Along with the restored Yokoyama Castle tower and cormorant fishing on the Nishiki River, it is one of Yamaguchi Prefecture's leading tourist destinations.

[Hajime Miura]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

山口県南東部、岩国市の錦(にしき)川（岩国川）に架けられた橋。5個の反り橋からなる木造橋で、日本三奇橋の一つとして知られ、国の名勝にも指定されている。橋の創建は1673年（延宝1）岩国藩主吉川広嘉(きっかわひろよし)の代で、甲斐(かい)（山梨県）の猿橋(さるはし)や中国の『西湖志』の六橋にヒントを得て、創案されたといわれる。橋の長さは橋面に沿って210メートル、幅5メートル、橋台の高さ5メートルで、木材を組み合わせ、巻き金とかすがいのほか1本の釘(くぎ)も使わず、力学的にも優れた構造をもつ美しい橋である。武家屋敷のある横山と城下町の錦見(にしみ)を結ぶ城門橋であった。いくたびかの修築を経て、創建当時の姿を保っていたが、1950年（昭和25）のキジア台風の大洪水で流失、1953年に再建された。現在の橋は1953年に再建された橋を架け替えたもので、2004年（平成16）完成した。復原された横山城天守閣や錦川の鵜飼(うかい)とともに山口県の代表的観光地。

［三浦　肇］

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