Horai Bridge in February

I visited this Guinness World Record Wood Bridge back in August. I thought I would like to visit again, so I did.

Horai-bashi, the Longest Wooden Bridge in the World

One of my students visited this bridge and told me about it. I had not heard about it before, even though it is in Shizuoka Prefecture. I left my apartment at 5:30 am to go to the train station and it was already hot out. I took the train to Shimada and walked from the station to the bridge.  

Along the way I saw a small street-side shrine and a Tanabata decoration. 

Are you wondering why I would want to go out early in the morning on a hot summer day to see a bridge? This isn't an ordinary bridge, this is the longest wooden bridge in the world.  Guinness Book of World Records says so. 

The 897 meter bridge crosses the Oi River and was completed on January 13, 1879. The supporting pillars were changed to concrete in April 1965. In December 1997, Guinness Book of Records declared it to be the longest wooden bridge. The toll to cross the bridge is 100 yen for adults and 10 yen for children.  The railing is low, but the bridge is 2.7 meters wide so you don't need to get close enough to fall off.

 I don't know about this statue. It is near the Guinness sign. The walk across had some interesting views.

On the far side of the bridge is a little path and some more interesting things to see. I saw some people cross back without taking the trail.  It was a little bit uphill, but not difficult.

Looking back at the bridge from the little trail.

The walk back across. I might visit here again.