Sunday December 1st, 2013
Today we decided to squeeze another famous landmark into our already full itinerary.
This is one determined tourist...
The famous Kintai Bridge over the Nishiki River in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture built in 1673. A series of five wooden arches.
So we set out by tram...
and several trains to see the bridge.
And here it is.
How do you prevent a bridge from being washed away by flood waters? Regular maintanence...
WIKIPEDIA; Maintenance used to involve periodic rebuilding of the bridge: every 20 years for 3 spans in the middle, every 40 years for 2 spans connecting to the riverside. Consequently, the bridge remained undestroyed for 276 years, until washed away again by flooding from typhoon "Kijia" in 1950. It had been in a weakened state at the time, due to the fact that the Japanese had stopped maintaining the bridge during World War II, and that the year before the typhoon, a large amount of gravel was taken by the US Military Force from the river around the bridge to expand the US Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, strengthening the flow of the river. In 1953, the bridge was reconstructed similarly to the original, using metal nails made from the same tatara iron as the Katana to increase its durability. Between 2001 and 2004, all five bridge girders were restored for the first time in 50 years.
Post detail.
Copper cap.
Balustrade.
The Japanese are such snappy dressers. Take a look at this chap sporting a waistcoat, tie and cap. Impressive.
View from the other side.
Kanawatsugi type joint with iron bands.
The underside of the bridge is amazing.
Interlocking timber trusses.
The fuyuzakura or winter cherry blossom.
Ok... Now to walk half an hour back to the train station and make our way back to the meeting...
One for the cat lovers.
We must confess, by the time we got back we had missed part of the Hiroshima Funairi congregation meeting... But it's all in Japanese so we couldn't understand anyway...
And after the meeting? Another Japanese feast with more new and hospitable friends... Tempura fish and vegetables, the first of many courses.
Salads...
And deserts.
Doumo arigatou gozaimasu to Harumi, Shizuko, Shouji, Aya and Chieko for a lovely evening.
Lloydnalex
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