A Roofed Corridor That Becomes a Bridge
The Ryokan Ohashi Taiko Bridge (旅館大橋太鼓橋, Ryokan Ōhashi Taikobashi) is a wooden corridor bridge of 1932 linking the Main Building and the West Annex of Ryokan Ohashi in Misasa Onsen, Misasa-cho, Tottori Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on November 5, 1997. The register counts it as one structure with a building area of 23 square meters.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs explains that the bridge spans a passage running from the public road down to the riverbank. Inside the inn it is simply a corridor; from outside it is a bridge hung over a path. A taikobashi is an arched "drum bridge," named for the rounded body of a taiko drum, and here the arch carries guests rather than pedestrians.
Why It Was Registered: A Proper Bridge Under a Roof
The Ryokan Ohashi Taiko Bridge carries registration number 31-0022 and was listed under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country, on the same day as the Banquet Hall Building and the West Annex. Of the five registered parts of the inn, it is the only one counted as a structure rather than as a building.
It is built of timber: an arched bridge with a gable-roofed Kirizuma-zukuri covering on top, finished in tile. The agency stresses that this is a bridge built properly, with curved girders and a handrail rather than a flat walkway dressed up to look like one.
On the road side, lanterns are fixed at both ends of the bridge. The agency remarks that such careful touches heighten the hot-spring-town atmosphere, a reminder that the Taiko Bridge was valued both as a working passage inside the inn and as part of the street scene of Misasa Onsen.
What to Look For
The Ryokan Ohashi Taiko Bridge shows two faces. From the road outside you see its full profile: the curve of the girders, the handrail, the gabled roof and the pair of lanterns. From inside it is the corridor running from the Main Building toward the West Annex, and the inn's own booking pages describe guests crossing the Taiko Bridge on their way to the open-air bath.
The inn says the bridge takes on a different mood by day and by night. After dusk, with the lanterns lit, the outline of the roof is worth a look from the road.
Visiting the Ryokan Ohashi Taiko Bridge
You cross the Ryokan Ohashi Taiko Bridge when you head for the Seseragi baths (an open-air bath and an indoor bath), whether as an overnight guest or as a day bather. Day-bathing men are assigned to the Seseragi baths. Overnight guests swap baths by time of day, so women staying at the inn can use the Seseragi baths late at night and early in the morning, and cross the bridge then.
Cameras may not be used in the baths or changing rooms, but the corridor counts as part of the inn where photography is allowed. Bathers pass through constantly, so take care to keep other people out of the frame. Directions and day-bathing fees for the whole inn are on the Ryokan Ohashi page.
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Q&A
- What is the Ryokan Ohashi Taiko Bridge?
- It is a wooden corridor bridge joining the Main Building and the West Annex of Ryokan Ohashi: an arched bridge with curved girders and a handrail, covered by a gabled, tiled roof, with a building area of 23 square meters.
- When was the Ryokan Ohashi Taiko Bridge built and registered?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to 1932. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on November 5, 1997, under number 31-0022.
- What runs underneath the Ryokan Ohashi Taiko Bridge?
- According to the agency, a passage leading from the public road to the riverbank. Lanterns are fixed at both ends of the bridge on the road side.
- Can I walk across the Ryokan Ohashi Taiko Bridge without staying overnight?
- Men using the Seseragi baths as day bathers cross it on the way to the open-air bath. Day bathing has set hours and may be refused when the inn is busy, so check with the inn first.
- Is photography allowed on the Ryokan Ohashi Taiko Bridge?
- Yes, the corridor is within the areas where photography is allowed, but the inn asks that other guests and staff not appear in photos. Cameras are banned in the baths and changing rooms.
Basic Information
| Name | Ryokan Ohashi Taiko Bridge (旅館大橋太鼓橋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 302 Misasa, Misasa-cho, Tohaku-gun, Tottori Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1997-11-05 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Wooden, tiled roof, building area 23 square meters |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | In use as a corridor of a working inn; crossed by overnight guests and day bathers |
References
- Ryokan Ohashi Taiko Bridge (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000362
- Ryokan Ohashi West Annex (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000361
- History of the inn (Ryokan Ohashi official site, Japanese)
- https://www.o-hashi.net/story
- FAQ (Ryokan Ohashi official site, Japanese)
- https://www.o-hashi.net/faq
- Photography rules (Ryokan Ohashi official site, Japanese)
- https://www.o-hashi.net/archives/6500
- Multi-night plan details (Ryokan Ohashi booking page, Japanese)
- https://reserve.489ban.net/client/o-hashi/0/detail/1007506
Last verified: 2026.10.08
