
A road through Onbashi Bridge
Japan, asia
N/A
40 m
moderate
Year-round
Okay, adventure time! Picture this: you're cruising through Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan, heading towards the stunning Taishaku Gorge. This isn't your average road trip because you're about to experience Onbashi Bridge!
Forget tunnels – this natural bridge is a legit road *through* a cave! Seriously, how cool is that?
Nestled between Tojo and Jinsekikogen, getting here is a breeze. Just hop on the Chugoku Expressway from Hiroshima City (it's about a 90-minute drive), and boom, you're basically there. You'll be exploring it on foot, so ditch the car for a bit!
Formed by millennia of mountain rivers carving through limestone, Onbashi Bridge is a geological masterpiece. We're talking 90 meters long, 18 meters wide, 24 meters thick, and soaring 40 meters above the riverbed!
This isn't just any old bridge; it's one of the largest natural limestone bridges on the planet! It's a National Natural Monument and even one of Japan's top 100 bridges! Can you believe this was once a main route for people, horses, and carriages? You can still see traces of its history today. Now it's a super-cool scenic spot to see!
Where is it?
A road through Onbashi Bridge is located in Japan (asia). Coordinates: 36.2983, 138.7292
Road Details
- Country
- Japan
- Continent
- asia
- Max Elevation
- 40 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Coordinates
- 36.2983, 138.7292
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