Apr., 2018, Vine Bridges of Iya Valley, Myoshi, Japan – In the video we see a pair of beautiful vine bridges of Iya valley, known as the husband-and-wife bridges alongside a manually drawn cable car. To create the bridges, two extraordinarily long Wisteria vines were grown and woven together with flat wooden planks 8 to 12 inches apart.
It is believed that at the end of 12th century while fleeing from the Genji or Minamoto Clan, the legendary Heike refugees (Samurais) built the vine bridges that could easily be cut down and turn the river valley into a naturally impassible barrier to their enemies.
Originally the bridges were unstable with no sides to hold onto and would start to sway and bounce wildly when attempted to cross. While still dangerous to cross, the bridges today have been reinforced with wire and side rails for safety of the tourists.
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