The Glasses Bridge
Meganebashi Bridge is also nicknamed Glasses Bridge, because the arches reflected in the water look like a pair of glasses.
Il ponte Meganebashi (眼鏡橋), costruito da un monaco di nome Mokusu nel 1634 e ispirato al doppio ponte del Palazzo imperiale di Tokyo, è il più antico ponte ad arco in pietra del Giappone, che attraversa il fiume Nakashima ed è l’attrazione turistica più visitata della città di Nagasaki. Il nome del ponte significa "ponte degli occhiali" proprio perché gli archi riflessi nell’acqua sembrano formare degli occhiali.
Passeggiando lungo il fiume si possono trovare negozi di souvenir, vecchi edifici commerciali, ristoranti e bar. Se si visita questa zona vale la pena provare la “castella”, una torta al burro di ispirazione portoghese e una prelibatezza tipica della regione di Nagasaki.
A bit of history
Meganebashi Bridge is the first Chinese-style stone bridge built in Japan, constructed in 1634 by the Chinese monk Mokusu. On 23 July 1982, a disastrous flood destroyed six of the ten stone bridges over the Nakashima River. Meganebashi was severely damaged, but fortunately almost all of the original stones were recovered, allowing it to be rebuilt as it was originally. In addition to the damage caused by the 1982 flood, another flood in 1647 destroyed the Megane Bridge, which was rebuilt the following year by Koumu Hirado.
Inside the embankment of this bridge, you can find 20 heart-shaped stones where you can make a wish. It is believed that the more stones you find, the luckier you will be.
Walking through Meganebashi and crossing the bridges that span the tree-lined riverfront will make you feel like you've stepped back in time, without forgetting the beauty of nature with colourful koi carp and turtles emerging from under the bridges.
Romantic moments
Strolling along the Nakashima riverside at night is a truly romantic experience, with the bridges illuminated by soft lighting, creating a truly unique atmosphere. During the Nagasaki Lantern Festival, the bridges are illuminated with spectacular light displays, as well as lanterns that light the way to the bridge.
How to get there
Nagasaki can be reached from Tokyo by Shinkansen bullet train or by plane from Tokyo's Haneda Airport. Other airlines operate flights from Narita Airport to Nagasaki.
A cheaper option is to fly from Tokyo to Fukuoka and then continue to Nagasaki by bus.
