Picturesque Kyoto

—My and Her Western Travels (35)

I realized something late after visiting Arashiyama, Kyoto. No matter where you take a photo, it looks somewhat picturesque. Perhaps that is one of the reasons it is popular with foreign tourists. After returning home, you can brag to your family and others. This trip, which also served as a celebration of my wife's recovery, has finally reached its final stage after traveling from Tokyo through the Shimanto River, Niyodo River, Katsurahama, and Kochi Castle in Kochi. With very little time left, I decided to dedicate myself to being a photographer for my wife, who has regained her health.

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Scenery with Togetsukyo Bridge

Gazing at Togetsukyo Bridge, which spans the Katsura River flowing through Kyoto—that was the biggest reason for visiting this place this time. So far, I have seen many bridges, including the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge (*), and various large and small submersible bridges (*) on the Shimanto River. Looking back on those, the idea was to wrap it all up with this bridge.

The view from the banks of the Katsura River is exactly the scenery I remember from period dramas, and my excitement level shot up at once. Among the movies and programs that used this bridge as a filming location, famous ones include "Bakumatsu Kokosei," "Gohatto," "Okenin Zankuro," "Onihei Hankacho," and "Zenigata Heiji."

I pressed the shutter many times in excitement. I also took a two-shot with my wife using a selfie stick I bought for the first time for this trip. To be extra careful, I made sure there was no one around before extending the selfie stick. I didn't want to ruin my mood by being glared at by annoyed people. That was my precautionary measure.

Chaos on the Bridge

The bridge can be described as a stateless state. A tall white couple is leaning against the railing, chatting happily. A group of Muslim women with their heads lightly covered in hijabs are taking pictures enthusiastically. The group spreading out on the narrow sidewalk and talking loudly must be Chinese. It is chaotic and truly interesting.

Togetsukyo Bridge is 155m long and 11m wide. The center is a roadway, and there are sidewalks on both sides. It is said to be an important traffic route connecting both banks of the Katsura River while being a tourist attraction. Seeing a line of cars while I am immersed in a period drama mood is a bit of a letdown, but this cannot be helped.

It seems this is my wife's second visit to Togetsukyo Bridge since her middle school field trip. At that time, she was so absorbed in chatting with her classmates that she didn't have much memory of this bridge, and only the heat remained in her memory. This time, she walked silently from one end of the bridge to the other and seemed to fully enjoy the view from the bridge, which was shrouded in mist after the rain. (To be continued)

(Photos <in order from top>: Togetsukyo Bridge over the Katsura River under a cloudy sky = Risu, My favorite period drama 'Onihei Hankacho' = Yahoo! JAPAN, View of the Katsura River shrouded in mist = Risu)

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