祖谷の葛橋
Vine Bridge of Iya
About this photo
This photo shows a kazurabashi, or vine bridge, in Iya, Miyoshi, Tokushima Prefecture. It appears in Tetsudo Ryoko Annai (Railway Travel Guide), published in 1914 (Taisho 3) by the government's Railway Agency (Tetsudoin). The photo's title does not tell us whether this is the same spot as today's vine bridge in Nishi-Iya.
A kazurabashi is a suspension bridge woven from shirakuchi kazura, a climbing vine (hardy kiwi). In the deep mountain valleys of Iya, these bridges were once a vital way to cross the rivers. Around the end of the Taisho era they were replaced by bridges made with wire and disappeared, but in the early Showa era the vine bridge came back as a bridge for tourists.
The present bridge is 45 meters long, 2 meters wide and 14 meters above the water. It was designated an Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property in 1955 (Showa 30), and it is rebuilt every three years.
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- Source title
- 『鉄道旅行案内』（大正3年）
- Held by
- National Diet Library, Japan
- Why it's free to use
- Copyright expired (public domain)
- Original item
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View in the NDL Digital Collections
View in the NDL online exhibition "Exploring Japanese Landmarks in Nishiki-e and Photographs" - Taken
- 112+ years ago
- Added to site
We have not altered what the photo shows or its source title. About historical wordingAbout image restoration
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