At the Shimanto River in Kochi Prefecture, Sada Chinkabashi is a very distinctive attraction~ This bridge has no tall guardrails, and its concrete surface runs low across the river, a design known as a “chinkabashi,” which is commonly seen throughout the Shimanto River basin. To reduce resistance when the river rises, there are almost no unnecessary structures on the bridge. The narrow road only allows one car to pass at a time, so vehicles traveling in opposite directions have to carefully yield to each other. Unfortunately, it was raining when I visited, but since I had already come all this way, I decided to rent a bicycle, put on a raincoat, and explore the area. On the way back, as I rode onto the bridge and watched the rain make the river flow even more rapidly, I honestly felt a little nervous. All I could do was slow down and carefully ride forward. After finally reaching the other side, I saw a small car slowly driving across, which made me admire the driver’s skill! Although the weather wasn’t good, this slightly thrilling cycling experience ended up becoming an unforgettable memory from the trip.
