Walk across a bridge built to sink in floods
The Shimanto River in western Kochi, on the island of Shikoku, still has many chinkabashi, low bridges built without railings so that floodwater can flow over them instead of sweeping them away. Walk slowly across one with the wide river below and green hills on both sides; locals still drive over them every day, so step aside for cars. The bridges are spread along the river, so a taxi, rental car or rental bicycle from Nakamura Station is the easiest way to get around.
Known as the Sada bridge, after the village beside it, this is the closest of the river's low bridges to the town of Nakamura, a short drive away. Standing on the deck just above the water, you see the river from closer than any ordinary bridge allows, with low green hills on both banks. It is a good choice if you only have time for one.
A low bridge across the lower river, also called the Fukaki bridge, where the water spreads wide over pale pebble beaches. Crossing its narrow deck with no railings, you feel how close the water is and how broad the river has become. After heavy rain it can be under water and closed, so check conditions first.
One of the most photographed bridges on the river, often seen on posters of the Shimanto, a slim deck curving across a bend between wooded mountains. Look at it from the riverbank or from the road above for the view on the posters, with the bridge reflected in the water on a calm day. It is on the upper river, about an hour by car from Nakamura.