The Oku-Iya Niju Kazurabashi (Men's Bridge) in autumn.
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Near the geographic center of Shikoku in western Japan, the Kazurabashi Bridge in Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture, is famous as a national Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property. Each year, it draws some 300-350,000 visitors. Yet few know that about 33 kilometers further up the Iya River, there are two more vine bridges.
The Iya region is counted among Japan's Three Great Hidden Areas. Legend holds that some 800 years ago, the defeated samurai Heike (Taira) clan crossed mountain after mountain and found refuge here.
Driving along the knife-edged gorge, we find the road has collapsed, slope and all, down into the valley. After a long detour, we finally reach the Oku-Iya Niju Kazurabashi.
There are two suspension bridges: the Men's Bridge (44 meters long) and the Women's Bridge (22 meters). Spanning the river at just the right interval, they're also called the Meotobashi (Husband-and-Wife Bridges).
Their primary material is shirakuchi-kazura, a wild vine that grows in mountain areas above 600 meters. When heated, even the thickest vines soften, bend freely, and turn into a tough natural rope. One tale says Heike fugitives built vine bridges that they could quickly cut down to foil pursuers. However, the truth is uncertain.
Echoes of the Past in the Valleys of Iya
Until the 20th century, this area had little contact with other settlements and preserved its own customs and culture. The rugged peaks, beginning with Mt Tsurugi, and deep valleys may have kept the outside world at bay. There were once thirteen Iya vine bridges serving as vital lifelines. Today, only three remain, maintained as tourist bridges.
A pleasant wind rises from the valley floor as I step onto the bridge. The planks underfoot keep swaying, and I grip the handrail to steady myself. Beneath the unending rush of the waterfall, a low animal call occasionally echoes through the deep gorge.
Shifting my focus through the gaps in the swaying planks to the stream below, fallen maple leaves tumble between rocks as if dancing. Our forebears must have gazed on this same scene, one that has changed little over hundreds of years.
Note: The Oku-Iya Double Vine Bridges typically close for winter from December through March and reopen in early April. Check local advisories for exact dates before visiting.
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Author: The Sankei Shimbun
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