# Sada Chinkabashi

> The longest submersible bridge on the Shimanto River: 291.6 meters long, 4.2 meters wide, with no railings on either side, and still a local road that cars drive across. When the river floods, it goes under. About 15 minutes by car or 40 minutes by bicycle from Nakamura Station.

- Prefecture: Kochi
- Type: Landmark
- Address: Shimanto, Kochi, Japan
- Official site: https://www.shimanto-kankou.com/kunekune/archives/spot/484

Sada Chinkabashi, also called Imanari Bridge, is the farthest downstream and the longest of the chinkabashi on the Shimanto River. It is 291.6 meters long and 4.2 meters wide, and it was built in the early 1970s. Like the other submersible bridges described on the Shimanto River page, it sits low over the water with no railings at all, so in a big flood the river simply runs over the deck. The Shimanto City Tourism Association's guide to the river gives two reasons for leaving the railings off: less resistance to the water when the bridge is submerged, and nothing for driftwood to snag on, which would dam the flow and make the flooding worse. What makes it unnerving is that it is still a working road. Cars drive across on a deck 4.2 m wide, the edge is a straight drop into the river, and on a busy day you share the deck with people stopping for photos. Keep away from the edge when a car comes, step aside rather than backing toward the water, and do not stand in the lane for a picture. If you come by bicycle, it is safer to leave it at the end and walk across. The view is wide and quiet: green hills, a shallow river clear enough to see fish from the deck. The same guide says that during Golden Week and Obon, vehicle traffic on the bridge is restricted and guards direct visitors.

## FAQ

### Why does Sada Chinkabashi have no railings?

Because it is built to go under water. The Shimanto City Tourism Association's guide to the river says railings were left off so the submerged bridge takes less force from the current, and so driftwood has nothing to catch on, which would block the flow and make flooding worse.

### Can you drive or cycle across Sada Chinkabashi?

Cars use it as a normal local road, though the deck is only 4.2 meters wide with no railings. During Golden Week and Obon vehicle traffic is restricted and guards direct visitors. If you come by bicycle, it is safer to leave it at the end and walk across.

### How do I get to Sada Chinkabashi without a car?

From Nakamura Station, take a taxi (about 15 minutes) or rent a bicycle from the tourism association in front of the station (about 40 minutes' ride). On weekends, holidays and in August, the Nuo-go loop bus goes from the station to the bridge four times a day for a 500 yen day ticket, but it seats only seven.

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Source: Sada Chinkabashi — Japan Voyage