The Hoi An Japanese Bridge remains a symbol of the significant impact that the Japanese had in the region. The bridge was originally constructed to connect the Japanese community with the Chinese quarter - separated by a small stream of water - as a symbolic gesture of peace. Although his work has been appreciated for centuries, the builder of the bridge still remains anonymous.
Roughly 40 years after the Hoi An Japanese Bridge was constructed, the Japanese were demanded by the Tokugawa Shogunate to return home to Japan under order of Sakoku - officially closing Japan to the rest of the world.
Renovation of the Japanese Bridge in Hoi An
The Japanese bridge has undergone relatively few modifications over the centuries. The French removed thresholds and leveled the road across the bridge to support motorized vehicles during their colonization. The changes were later undone and the bridge pedestrianized again during major restoration in 1986.