Kintai Bridge Cherry Blossoms 2027 Dates TBA

錦帯橋の桜 — Iwakuni, Yamaguchi (Chugoku)

Last updated: Fri, October 30, 2026

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Around 1,500 cherry trees line the banks of the Nishiki River around Kintai Bridge's distinctive five-arched wooden span, with the adjoining Kikko Park adding several thousand more across its grounds.

Background

The current bridge design dates to 1673, engineered with a stone-pier, wooden-arch structure specifically to survive the Nishiki River's floods after earlier straight bridges kept washing away; it has been rebuilt to the same design several times since, most recently in the early 2000s.

Getting there

About a 15-minute bus ride from JR Iwakuni Station to the Kintaikyo bus stop.

Tips

• The classic shot is the arched bridge framed by blossoms from the riverbank downstream — cross the bridge itself (small toll) for a second angle from Kikko Park.
• Iwakuni Castle, reachable by ropeway from Kikko Park, gives an elevated view over the whole bridge-and-blossom scene.
• Crossing the bridge itself costs a toll — ¥310 for adults (junior-high age and up), ¥150 for elementary schoolers, free for younger children. After dark during the light-up you pay into an honesty box at the entrance rather than at a staffed booth.
• Kikko Park on the far bank, where most of the cherry trees actually are, is free — the toll is only for walking the bridge itself, so a visit doesn't require paying if the plan is to view from the park.
• The light-up runs sunset to 9:00pm through the whole Mar 24 – Apr 19, 2026 window, one of the longer light-up periods among Japan's named cherry spots.

Maintained by Tetsu Yamamoto · Last verified against the official source: Fri, October 30, 2026