A Visit to Niji-no-Ōhashi at Lake Miyagase The Bridge’s Curve Reflected on the Lake and an Autumn Afternoon Detour

From Toriibara Park, I looked out over Lake Miyagase and spotted Niji-no-Ōhashi on the far side. The road deck is straight, with a broad curve beneath it. I’d planned to walk out onto the bridge, but the view of the whole thing from here made me stop. Before crossing, I wanted to take in its shape properly.

I layered a pink top and pale lavender jacket over a white shirt. The November breeze slipped through my sleeves; even with the sun out, it felt unmistakably like autumn. I held my phone at chest height and took a picture of the bridge and lake together. I meant to capture exactly what I was seeing, but on the screen the bridge seemed a little farther away.

When I lowered my phone after taking the photo, the lake opened up before me again. The bridge stretched from shore to shore, with mountains layered beyond it. Its curve was reflected in the water, too, and I kept looking back and forth between the real bridge and its reflection. I’d planned to check the photo and move on, but it was much more fun to look at what was right in front of me.

Niji-no-Ōhashi is an inverted Lohse bridge, and it’s one of Kanagawa’s 100 Selected Bridges. When I first heard the term, it sounded complicated, but once you see the curve below the road, it’s easy to remember. Once I could see the whole bridge, even the “rainbow” in its name began to feel familiar. This was a trip to admire the bridge’s shape, not to visit a building.

I’d been looking forward to nigomi udon at Toriibara Fureai no Ie for lunch. It’s a local dish from the Tsukui area: seasonal vegetables and udon cooked together in broth. The first bite warmed me through, and I felt ready for an afternoon by the lake. I love taking in the view before a meal, but today I’m glad I ate first.

As the afternoon light began to slant, I was still gazing at the lake and bridge. I already had the photos on my phone, but I still wasn’t ready to go home. I wanted to remember how long I’d stood there, not just that I’d seen the bridge. Before leaving, I looked up once more and traced the bridge from one shore to the other.