Shijo Oohashi Bridge

Shijo Ohashi is the bridge carrying Shijo-dori over the Kamo River in central Kyoto. According to Yasaka Shrine records, it was first built in 1142 (Eiji 2) through donations, but it was washed away many times thereafter. While Sanjo Ohashi and Gojo Ohashi were major highway endpoints and thus large bridges, Shijo Ohashi—serving as the approach to Yasaka Shrine—was historically a smaller ‘people’s bridge.’ The present bridge was built in 1942 (Showa 17): a steel plate-girder bridge 65 m long and 25 m wide, with two piers in the river. It is heavily trafficked, linking Kyoto’s signature entertainment districts: Gion, Yasaka Shrine, etc. on the east side and Pontocho and Shijo-Kawaramachi on the west. In the early Edo period, the Shijo riverbed was a lively pleasure ground where Izumo no Okuni performed kabuki dances. Today, Kyoto’s Minamiza Theatre stands at the east end of the bridge and remains a leading venue for kabuki and other traditional performing arts. The Kamo River banks are also a popular local space for jogging and walking.