Kami-no-iwahashi Suspension Bridge

Kami-no-iwahashi, completed in 1926, is the oldest suspension bridge in Akita Prefecture, spanning 80 meters at the trailhead of the Dakigaeri Valley hiking trail. The striking vermillion balustrades were carried over from its original life as part of a forest railway. Today the bridge serves as a gateway into the valley and delivers a bird's-eye view of the V-shaped gorge below, where primary forest covers the hillsides and the blue Tamagawa River winds through from the Jindai Dam upstream. It is worth the walk regardless of season, though the surrounding forest is particularly vivid in autumn.