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Our guide
Saruhashi, the “Monkey Bridge”, is a historic arch bridge over the gorge of the Katsura River in Ōtsuki, Yamanashi, and a Place of Scenic Beauty. It is counted with the Kintai Bridge and the Shinkyō among Japan's three unusual bridges, and is the best-known example of the hanebashi design, held up by tiers of cantilever beams set into the cliffs on either side. The bridge dates from the mid-18th century, when it carried the Kōshū Kaidō, one of the main highways of the Edo period, and the bridge and gorge inspired many landscape paintings in the 19th century.
Saruhashi Station on the Chūō Main Line is about 1.1 km away in a straight line, and Iwadono Castle about 2.8 km.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- Saru hashi-1a — 江戸村のとくぞう · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Yatsuzawa-aqueduct bridge-1 — The original uploader was 茶－β at Japanese Wikipedia . · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Saruhashi -02 — Aimaimyi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- SaruHashi2005-8b — Kinori · Public domain · source · resized
- Saruhashi -01 — Aimaimyi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Saruhashi -05 — Aimaimyi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- 猿橋 - panoramio — くろふね · CC BY 3.0 · source · resized
- 猿橋 - panoramio (1) — くろふね · CC BY 3.0 · source · resized
- 猿橋 - panoramio (2) — くろふね · CC BY 3.0 · source · resized
- 猿橋 - panoramio (3) — くろふね · CC BY 3.0 · source · resized
What this place is
The Saruhashi Bridge (猿橋) is a historic arch bridge officially listed as a Place of Scenic Beauty of Japan in Ōtsuki, Yamanashi Prefecture. It is ranked as one of Japan's three unique bridges, along with the Kintai Bridge and the Shinkyo Bridge. It is also referred to as the monkey bridge The bridge spans the gorge of the Katsura River and is the most well-known example of the hanebashi (刎橋) design, in which the bridge is supported by a series of cantilever beams set in the opposing cliff faces. The bridge dates to the mid-18th century, when it carried the Kōshū Kaidō, one of the main highways of the Edo period. The elegant design of the bridge and the scenic beauty of the gorge have inspired numerous landscape paintings of the 19th century.
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Cityscape
Nearby station
Nearby station: Saruhashi (Chūō Main Line), about 1.1 km from the spot in a straight line.
Worked out on 2026-09-14 from this place’s map position, using HeartRails Express station data and station names from Wikidata. The distance is a straight line, not a walking route, and says nothing about buses, transfers or timetables — plan the trip on Google Maps.
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