More than ten stone bridges were built over Nakajima river running across the central Nagasaki City, the Megane bridge is one of them and the oldest in Japan. In 1634, a monk, Mokusu-nyojo who was in the second generation of Kohfukuji Temple was said to build this bridge, 22m long and 3.65m wide, and the bridge has been designated as a national important cultural property.
The bridge was designated as Japan’s three famous bridges and said to be a model of the Double Bridge of the Imperial Palace. The origin of the name is that the shadows of two circles of the bridge reflected in the river look like glasses.
Megane Bridge was built of processed stones from the local ground without using cement and just simply piling stones up to build. The stones push against each other, which has kept the bridge strong. When the bridge was attacked by the 1982 Nagasaki Flood, just some parts were damaged and the bridge was rebuilt the next year.
Another walking route is that from the path along the Nakajima river and go down the stone stairs to reach the riverside. The stepping stones are located down the stream, it is a good spot to take some pictures against the background of Megane Bridge. This area is believed to be a power spot because heart-shaped stones are embedded in revetment and if you find them, you will get lucky.
Highlights
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The bridge is lit up until 10:00 pm at night, which creates a different atmosphere from the daytime.
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The path along the Nakajima river is recommended to walk.
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On the bridge down the stream before Megane Bridge, the full view can be seen.
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The embedded heart stones are around 20.
