A Failproof Bridge The Kintai Bridge, with its beautiful five arches, was built in 1673 by the third-generation Yoshikawa, Hiroyoshi. This bridge spans the Nishiki River, which flows for 110 kilometers to the Inland Sea. The river is the longest river in Yamaguchi Prefecture. From ancient times this region was plagued by floods, and the bridge was washed away each time. The second-generation Yoshikawa, Hiromasa, built several bridges but in vain. Third-generation Hiroyoshi himself supervised the construction of the Kintai Bridge. In the construction, large rocks where laid for the foundation, and an island was made around it. Then arches made of wood were spanned between these islands. It took nearly a year to make this bridge. The wooden arches have been rebuilt every 30 years or so but the islands have been used for more than 277 years, until September 1950, when the bridge was completely destroyed in the great Kijiya Typhoon, which struck Yamaguchi Prefecture. The present bridge was reconstructed exactly as before, using the same ancient method, demonstrating how advanced the ancient technology actually was.