The Japanese Bridge is perhaps one of the best-known and most visited spots in all of Vietnam. If you come to Hoi An it’s without doubt one of the essential corners to see in the old town — and its fame as a national monument runs so deep that you’ll find it on the 20,000 VND banknote, as well as on countless souvenirs and paintings.
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The history of Hoi An’s Japanese Bridge
In other articles we’ve talked about Hoi An’s importance as one of Vietnam’s main trading ports throughout much of its history: merchants from practically all over the world (mostly Chinese, Portuguese and Japanese) came to the city to trade all kinds of goods.
Many of these merchants ended up settling permanently in the city, forming small communities and neighborhoods that built up across the area — with the Chinese and the Japanese being precisely the two most significant communities.
It was to connect those two neighborhoods that this beautiful wooden bridge was built. Being a Japanese construction, it was designed to withstand the threat of earthquakes, something all too common back in Japan.
Visiting the Japanese Covered Bridge in Hoi An
Like the rest of Hoi An’s old town, the Japanese Bridge was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1999.
The Japanese Bridge was built with a unique blend of Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese architecture and has undergone numerous renovations over time, though it has thankfully managed to preserve its original distinctive character perfectly.
Above the entrance you’ll find three Chinese characters over the temple door, created by one of the bridge’s benefactors. And at each end of the bridge, standing as guardians, you’ll find statues of dogs and a pair of monkeys, believed to relate to the year the bridge was built and to the birth years of Japan’s principal emperors.
Beyond visiting during the day, we recommend strolling through this area at night: it’s well worth seeing how the bridge transforms under the soft lighting of the old town.
How to get to the Japanese Bridge in Hoi An
The Japanese Bridge sits right in the heart of Hoi An’s old town. The best way to reach it is of course on foot — bear in mind the old town is pedestrianized.
Another good idea is to go by bicycle; you can rent one at any number of shops nearby.
If you can pass by again at dusk when it’s lit up, you won’t regret it.
The Japanese Bridge: hours and price
The Japanese Bridge in Hoi An is open 24 hours a day and you can walk up to it freely.
The bridge underwent the largest restoration in its history, which began in December 2022 and lasted 19 months. It reopened to the public in August 2024, having preserved its original architecture and structure almost entirely.
