Nightly Exclusive: The Stunning Reflection of Yanagawa’s Kintai Bridge – Quiet, Less Crowded, and Perfect for a Leisurely Appreciation

Photos & Text /Upper Right 45-Degree Angle

It’s rare to visit Yanagawa to see the Kintai Bridge—wouldn’t it be a shame to only enjoy it during the day? Following the previous post about the bridge’s daytime scenery, this time we’ll take you through the night view and the riverside night market.

There’s no toll to cross the bridge at night, but there’s a sign on the shutter gate asking visitors to insert coins themselves. But from what I saw, no one actually did...

Near the entrance of the Kintai Bridge are several hot spring hotels. This white one is a particular favorite of Upper Right.

Taken from across the river, this is the Kintai Bridge Onsen Yanagawa International Sightseeing Hotel (Kintai Bridge Onsen Yanagawa International Sightseeing Hotel) where Upper Right stayed.

The water flow is gentle, allowing a full view of the bridge’s reflection. The bridge’s bottom reveals its artful wooden architectural structure quite clearly. The Kintai Bridge is a bit of a distance from Yanagawa city center (about a 20-minute bus ride), and while it’s crowded with tourists during the day, it’s quiet and less populated at night. For independent travelers, I highly recommend staying here for a night, soaking in the hot springs, and quietly enjoying the night view of the Kintai Bridge.

A whole row of lanterns hangs from the branches of cherry blossom trees—this must be a special sight only available during the cherry blossom season.

Along the riverside park, there are nearly ten food stalls. Strangely enough, although each stall sells a wide variety of items, they all pretty much sell the same things: takoyaki, chicken nuggets, fries, okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and so on. Why is that, I wonder?

In the area around the Kintai Bridge, there’s almost nothing to eat at night, nor are there any cheap ramen shops or convenience stores. This row of night market stalls was probably just a lucky find for Upper Right. I bought a few random snacks, but unfortunately, none of them were tasty @ _ @. Later I realized that unless it’s a large night market with lots of stalls (like the ones near Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto), the food usually isn’t that great—so don’t get your hopes up too high (lol).

The most common sight during cherry blossom season is groups of people sitting under the trees, eating snacks, chatting, and enjoying a happy spring day.

This one is a bit special—it sells taiyaki. Upper Right bought one, hmm... (Taiwan’s are better).

Cross the Kintai Bridge and head toward the direction of the hotel. The only light visible on the mountain is the illuminated Yanagawa Castle at night. It looks as if it’s floating in mid-air, truly resembling a castle in the sky—absolutely beautiful.

[Yanagawa Kintai Bridge]http://kintaikyo.iwakuni-city.net/
(Yanagawa City Tourism Promotion Division) Yamaguchi w Yanagawa City Imazucho 1-chome 14-ban 51-go
Phone: 0827-29-5116
Business Hours: The bridge can be crossed 24 hours a day. The fee is 300 yen during the day, but at night... well, it seems no one is actually collecting it...
Directions: Take the JR Sanyo Main Line to Yanagawa Station, or take the Sanyo Shinkansen to Shin-Yanagawa Station. From there, transfer to the Kintai Bridge Line bus, which takes about 30 minutes to reach the Kintai Bridge Bus Center. It’s a 1-minute walk from there.