Harimaya Bridge

Famous bridge commemorating a 19th-century forbidden love story — now a symbol of Kōchi

Harimaya Bridge is a small red lacquered bridge in central Kōchi — more symbol than structure, but an important part of the city's identity. The original bridge was demolished in the Meiji period when the city was modernized; the current version is a reconstruction. What makes it memorable is the story attached to it: a 19th-century scandal involving a monk and his secret lover, which became the subject of a popular poem that spread across Japan.

The bridge is close to the main tram stops and easy to visit in passing. The Harimaya Bridge Square around it has a small public space with benches. It is not worth a special trip on its own, but if you are walking between the shopping arcades and the station it is directly on your path. The view from the reconstructed bridge along the old canal is pleasant.

things to do sight
A story
The legend goes that a monk named Chinkei was seen buying a hairpin for his lover Otoma on Harimaya Bridge — a scandalous act for a man of the cloth. A wry poem about the incident spread across Japan: "Oh, what a shame, what a shame / A monk buying a hairpin at Harimaya Bridge." The bridge became shorthand for hypocrisy caught in the act.