A Bridge Crossed Once a Month
Zentsuji Tanjoin Temple Hatsukabashi Bridge is a stone girder bridge in Zentsujicho, Zentsuji City, Kagawa Prefecture, built in 1942 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2010. It was moved to its present position in the later Showa period.
It crosses the moat east of the Nio Gate, 6.8 metres long and 5.4 metres wide, carried on a central pier. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, tradition holds that before the Meiji period the crossing was permitted only on the twentieth day of each month, and the name records that custom: hatsuka means the twentieth.
Today it is the first bridge every visitor to Tanjoin crosses. The gap between a crossing once restricted to one day a month and one now used as the daily entrance is worth holding in mind while walking over Zentsuji Tanjoin Temple Hatsukabashi Bridge. The account is recorded as a temple tradition, and no source consulted here documents the restriction in detail.
The Only One Listed on Different Grounds
Zentsuji Tanjoin Temple Hatsukabashi Bridge was registered as number 37-0356 under the criterion of serving as a model of its form.
Of the 19 structures at Tanjoin, the other 18 were listed for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. This bridge alone was judged on different grounds. To serve as a model means the work is good enough to stand as an example of its type, and the official description calls it a fine instance of a traditional stone bridge. What was assessed here is the quality of the bridge itself rather than its part in the scene.
The Imperial Envoy Bridge over the same moat is 6.5 metres long and 3.6 metres wide; this one is broader at 5.4 metres. Comparing the two shows how the width was set by the traffic each was expected to carry.
What to Look For
Start with the plan of the balustrade. It runs straight across the span, then splays outward to left and right where it reaches each bank. The flare gathers people in and turns them towards the gate, making the entrance feel wider than the deck itself.
The Kōran balustrade with its Giboshi finials matches the one on the other bridge, but the splayed ends give this one more movement. The deck arches gently, and from the middle the moat opens out both north and south. The centre of Zentsuji Tanjoin Temple Hatsukabashi Bridge is one of the few spots from which the stone revetment and the small shrine in the water can be seen together.
Visiting Zentsuji Tanjoin Temple Hatsukabashi Bridge
The bridge lies on the eastern side of the grounds, directly on the line from the public road to the Nio Gate. Everyone entering the precinct crosses it, so there is no restriction, no desk and no ticket.
The profile of the span and the splay of the balustrade both read better from the pavement along the moat than from the deck. Paid admission at the temple applies only to the underground passage and the treasure house. Nothing is posted about photography, and there is no difficulty shooting from the road or from the bridge.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kagawa
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Zentsuji Tanjoin Temple Hatsukabashi Bridge
- [ Naoshima Art Island & Kotohiragu Shrine Visit ]
Q&A
- Where does the name of Zentsuji Tanjoin Temple Hatsukabashi Bridge come from?
- From a tradition that before the Meiji period the crossing was allowed only on the twentieth of each month. Hatsuka means the twentieth.
- Why was Zentsuji Tanjoin Temple Hatsukabashi Bridge listed on different grounds?
- It was registered as a model of its form, while the other 18 Tanjoin entries were listed for contributing to the historic landscape.
- Can visitors cross Zentsuji Tanjoin Temple Hatsukabashi Bridge?
- Yes. It sits on the line from the road to the Nio Gate and is the first bridge visitors use.
- How big is Zentsuji Tanjoin Temple Hatsukabashi Bridge?
- A stone girder bridge 6.8 metres long and 5.4 metres wide, resting on a single central pier.
- When was Zentsuji Tanjoin Temple Hatsukabashi Bridge built?
- In 1942, making it among the newest of the listed structures at Tanjoin. It was relocated later in the Showa period.
Basic Information
| Name | Zentsuji Tanjoin Temple Hatsukabashi Bridge |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-615 Zentsujicho, Zentsuji City, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property |
| Year Designated | Registered in 2010 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Stone girder bridge, 6.8 metres long, 5.4 metres wide, with pier |
| Owner | Zentsuji Religious Corporation |
| Public Access | Open for crossing at any time, no admission charge |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Zentsuji Tanjoin Temple Hatsukabashi Bridge
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008188
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Zentsuji Tanjoin Temple Imperial Envoy Bridge
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008189
- Sohonzan Zentsuji: Map of the Grounds
- https://zentsuji.com/keidai/map/
Last verified: 2026.09.14
