Miyanoura Bridges

Two bridges span the Miyanoura River close to where it enters the East China Sea. The larger one, built in 1968 just as the coastal road encircling Yakushima came into completion, is for vehicular traffic. The smaller and more elegant one, less than five meters in width, is the older of the two and is now for the sole enjoyment of pedestrians and cyclists. Its completion in 1930 was met with much fanfare, as the only means residents had of crossing the river before then was by boat. It is a favorite spot on summer evenings for catching the cool breezes that sail down from the Maedake mountain range in the distance.