Shinkyo Bridge (神橋) is a sacred bridge located at the entrance to the shrines and temples of Nikko. The vermillion bridge is ranked as one of the top three finest bridges in Japan. It is also known as the snake bridge because of the origin myth of the construction. It is said that Shodo and his followers had difficulty crossing the rapid Daiya River. Monk Shodo prayed and the god Jinja Daiou appeared and released a red and blue snake. The snakes then transformed and created an arched bridge for Shodo and his followers to use. The current bridge was built in 1636, but prior to its construction there was evidence of another walkway whose origins are unclear. There were extensive renovations done to the red bridge in the early 2000s. Shinkyo Bridge is open to the public to cross for a nominal fee.
