On our way back to our ryokan, we visited the remaining two existing vine suspension bridges.
Walk across @ Oku Iya Niju Kazurabashi・Yaen
Arrived 4:45pm - Depart at 5:15pm.
Compared to the Iya no Kazurabashi Bridge, one needs to take a long flight of stairs down to get access to the Oku Iya Niju Kazurabashi bridges. Oku Iya Niju Kazurabashi Bridges is a pair of bridges. As a collection, it is sometimes referred to as 'Myoto-bashi' 夫婦橋, and individually, the larger musculine bridge ‘Obashi’ 男橋, and the shorter feminine version ‘Mebashi’ 女橋.
The longer Husband bridge 男橋 spans 44m, and lies 12metres above the river. It is much easier to walk across this than Iya no Kazurabashi bridge but it sways just as much with every step one takes on the bridge. There is a small waterfall downstream.
The Wife bridge 女橋 is half the length of the Husband bridge, and is 5 metres above the running stream. One can gain access to the river from a short flight of steps on the south-east side of the bridge. I stood below the bridge for a good 15min, just listening to the waters babbling.
Next to the Mebashi 女橋, one can see the Yaen 野猿 which is a human-powered wooden cart, pulled by oneself to transport him/herself and goods cross the river. It was once a essential mode of transportation, though these days, people would transport themselves across the river for fun.
奥祖谷二重かずら橋・野猿
Parking (free) [Google map link]
Entry fee: ¥550 (Adult), ¥350 (Child)