Shinkyo Bridge (Nikko's sacred vermilion bridge)

The Shinkyo Bridge — its name means "Sacred Bridge" — is the first thing you see on arriving in Nikko: a 28-metre vermilion-lacquered wooden arch that leaps the Daiya river in a single span between two moss-covered rock banks. Legend has it that in 766 the monk Shodo Shonin crossed the river on the backs of two sacred serpents sent by the mountain god to help him found the first temple in Nikko; the bridge was built on that very spot to commemorate the miracle. The original 8th-century bridge was destroyed by floods and the current structure dates from the 17th century. The view of the vermilion bridge from the bank, framed by cedars above the green mountain river, is one of Japan's most recognisable images. Viewing it from the banks is free; crossing it costs 300 ¥. The bridge is a five-minute walk from Tobu-Nikko or Nikko (JR) station and marks the symbolic entrance to Nikko's sacred precinct.