Sanjo-ohashi Bridge (三条大橋)
Sanjo-ohashi Bridge is on Sanjo-dori Street in Kyoto City. Sanjo-ohashi Bridge runs over the Kamo-gawa River, and it is where both the Tokaido and the Nakasendo meet.
Although it is unknown when it was built, there is a record in which it states Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI ordered the renovation of the bridge, and some ornamental railing tops made at that time remain today. The bridge now has two lanes with sidewalks, and the main body of it was rebuilt of concrete in 1950.
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The first Ekiden in the history of Japan had its starting line on this bridge.
A pair of statues of Yaji-san and Kita-san, two characters from a story called 'Tokai Dochu Hizakurige' (a humorous adventure story of two men who travel along the Tokaido highway on a pilgrimage to Ise shrine in Edo Period) are at the end of this bridge.
At the east side of the bridge there is a statue of Hikokuro TAKAYAMA who was a loyal supporter of the Emperor in the Edo Period (the so called 'dogezazo': a statue of him prostrating himself on the ground), and it is now a meeting spot.