Shimada

I was surprised to hear that the world's longest wooden bridge exists in Japan. It is Horai Bridge in Shimada, Shizuoka. It was a little bit far from my hometown, but I couldn't resist the temptation to walk on it. Especially, for it has a Guinness Record. Actually, I had never seen a Guinness certificate or inscription before, although I had tried a Guinness record myself in line dancing. Anyway, the bridge was 897.4m long and 2.7m wide, built in 1879 across Oi River which was famous as one of the hardest point on Old Tokaido Rooute. However, the bridge itself was not on Old Tokaido Route. So on the route, travellers used a boat, carrier, or piggyback to cross the river. Besides, the bridge was built in Meiji Period, not Edo Period, for local residents.

Horai Bridge 1

By the way, I found something interesting. In Japan, there are a lot of great wooden architectures. One of the most famous is Horyuji Temple in Nara, which is the world's oldest wooden building and designated as a UNESCO's World Heritage. Another is Todaiji Temple Daibutsu Hall, which is the world's largest wooden building. And Horai Bridge is the world's longest bridge. Japanese should be prouder of the wooden architectures.

Guinness Record Certificate

Shimada station had a tourist information in front of the north exit. It was lucky to get a map and brochures there, because I had no guide. The office lady gave me details about Shimada sightseeing, although I thought she was a volunteer. Then I took a 15 min walk to Horai Bridge. It was a beautiful day and there were a lot of people around the bridge. I paid 100 JPY (approx. 1 USD) for a return ticket at the box office. Actually, it looked possible to get into the bridge without passing the office, but they must need the toll to keep its good condition and we must pay to enjoy a stroll on the bridge. I enjoyed the good view of Oi River and the sound of my own footsteps on the wooden bridge. In ten minutes, I reached the other end. There were statues of Seven Dieties of Good Fortune, a viewpoint for the bridge, and bells for prayer. It was a really nice tourist spot, although it was a little bit inconvenient to get there.

Horai Bridge 2

When I got back to Shimada Station, trains were not available, because of the influence of a injury accident. So I had two more destinations left at that time, but I chose another destination to kill time in Shimada. It was Kawagoshi Iseki Ruin, which had been Shimada Post Town on the Old Tokaido Route. It took 25 min to walk up to the ruin, but all I saw in the ruin was just old houses and a river port office. There was a museum beyond the ruin, but I was not interested. Then I headed back for the train station.

I still had two more destinations: Yui and Kanaya. I was supposed to catch a great view of Mt. Fuji and Suruga Bay in Yui and a stone-built part of Old Tokaido Route in Kanaya. I was not sure if I could see Mt. Fuji on the day, because it depended on the weather. But I tried my luck, because I may not have had a chance to return around there in my life. From Yui station, Satta Pass Viewpoint was 3.5 km away. There was a rental bike shop in front of the station, but considering the uphill to the pass, I didn't rent it. Eventually, the view from the pass was disappointing. I couldn't see Mt. Fuji at all, because of a large cloud. The picture of the great view displayed at the viewpoint was just a comfort. Then I kept walking to Okitsu Station on Old Tokaido Route, although there was nothing special but a beach and a steep hill.

Ohi River

When I got to Kanaya, it was half past six and dark outside. However, I had an expectation that the stone-built hill was lit-up, because it is a tourist attraction. Resultingly, the stone-built hill was quite dark and I couldn't see anything at all. So ridiculous.

Horai Bridge 3

Horai Bridge 4

Shimada Post Town

Ferry Port Office

Satta Pass View

Yui Beach & Suruga Bai

Satta Pass Expected View

Satta Pass

Kanaya Station