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Nikko NP, Tochigi
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Kurenai has an unusual half-suspension design: the cables on one side are anchored horizontally. This 52.5 m footbridge over the Hōki River was completed in 2003.
After the 2011 earthquake hurt tourism, Shiobara created tote-yaki, a soft, castella-like snack shaped like the trumpet horn of old “tote” carriages. The market beside the bridge sells versions with sweet or savory fillings.
When Shiobara’s overnight visitors began declining from 1.46 million in 1991, the town pursued a “hot-spring district to enjoy on foot.” New trails and bridges—including Kurenai, completed in 2003—were part of that revival.
“Kurenai” means crimson, and the name describes the scenery, not the bridge: maples lining the riverbanks blaze red in autumn. Their fiery color gave this crossing its name.
In Shiobara, fall color moves downhill: it starts near the mountaintops in early October and reaches lower areas by mid-November. Kurenai’s maples usually peak in early to mid-November, so autumn arrives in stages.
