Yukiwari Bridge A single bridge links the autumn woods on either side of the ravine

I stopped where I could see Yukiwari Bridge from the side on a late-October afternoon. With both hands still on my bag straps, I looked through the branches. I could see the bridge running through the trees, with its red arch clearly visible below.

My friend looked from one end of the bridge to the other. I followed her gaze and saw how the bridge spanned the deep, wooded valley in a single sweep. From here, I could see the shape of the bridge in a way you can’t when driving across it.

The leaves nearest me were close, while the mountains beyond the bridge felt far off. I’d meant to focus on the bridge alone, but then I found myself noticing the trees in between too. With that red arch to follow, it’s easier to trace the whole sweep of the valley.

I’d heard the present Yukiwari Bridge is the fifth, and that it opened in 2021. ‘So this bridge has kept linking the two sides, again and again,’ I said to my friend. Thinking of all the people who’ve travelled back and forth here over the years makes me want to linger a little longer.

A breeze stirred the leaves on a nearby branch. I tightened my grip on the straps and looked back at the arch beyond them. Seeing the valley from the bridge would be lovely, but I love being able to take in the bridge and the autumn leaves together, like this.

‘Shall we pick up something on the way back?’ my friend said, and I remembered the potato manju from Nishigo Village. Now I had a souvenir to look forward to, but for the moment I wanted to keep looking at the bridge. Before we left, I wanted to memorise the shape of its arch through the leaves one more time.