Venus Bridge Kobe

 

The Venus Bridge is a unique scenic viewpoint offering panoramic views of Kobe and its surrounding areas.

Opened in 1971, its is a spiral bridge shaped in a figure 8 that connects tow observatorys.

I reached it via a short, but steep, walk from Suwa Shrine.

Apparently it is very popular at night but I was here early in the morning on my way up into the mountains to a temple on the Kinki Fudo Myo Pilgrimage.

The name comes from 1874 when a frenchman observed the transit of Venus across the sun from a nearby observatory.

With Venus being the Goddess of Love, coupes have been leaving padlocks with their names on at the site for some years.

A special monument has been set up for the purpose now and padlocks left around the main  structure have been removed.

At approximately 150 meters above sea level it is not so high but the views are nonetheless worth the walk.