Iya Kazura Bridge かずら橋

Visited 15 Jun 2016

Name of Atraction : Iya Kazura Bridge かずら橋
Tripadvisor Name : Iya Kazura Bridge
Area : Miyoshi 三好市  
Opening Hours : Everyday, sunrise to sunset 
(For visitors to see its fantastic form, “Kazurabashi” bridge is lit up every night from 19:00 – 21:00. During these hours, the bridge cannot be crossed)
Admission : 
Adults 550¥
Elementary school students (7-12 years old) 350¥


Name of Shop : Kazurabashi Yumebutai かずら橋夢舞台
Tripadvisor Name : Kazurabashi Yumebutai
Address (住所) : 〒778-0102 徳島県三好市西祖谷山村今久保３４５－１
TEL : 0883-87-2200 
Opening Hrs : 
9 am to 6 pm (Apr - Nov)
9 am to 5 m (Dec to Mar)
Parking (駐車場) : 300¥

1. Navigate to this grocery/souvenir shop using the telephone number given.
2. This shop is only 900m away from the Iya Kazura bridge.
3. We walked to the starting point and as we reached, we could see the bridge from this path. It's a suspension bridge, but one of its kind and unique. Some were struggling to walk across, and we also discovered why soon enough.
4. We then started our walk across. Well, if you are wary of height, you should not attempt this crossing. The gap in between the planks is wide so you could easily see the stream below. It was apparently not the tourist season yet and so not too crowded. It also seemed that not too many people are allowed on this bridge at any one time.
5. There were just a couple of us and so we took our time, literally, in crossing. My wife is nimble and could still snap photos and videos while clinging on to the side. I imagined Japanese wearing their kimono and getai slippers and trying to cross it...in feudal times.
6. There wasn't much else to see after crossing, and as we didn't know, we attempted to cross the bridge back. Then a loudspeaker came on, of course we didn't understand, until finally a Japanese guy shouted : One way only ! Well, now we know !
7. We have cycled the world's longest suspension bridge at Shimanami, the Kurushimakaikyo bridge, from Imabari, and we were glad to have done the shortest, this particular bridge, and that they have kept it, until today, for us to experience a feudal bridge.

Kazura Bridge

Stream below

View upstream