We were able to go far in Northern Kyushu mainly because we saved on a lot of transportation costs with the JR Pass.
How to Claim and Use JR Pass in Fukuoka, Japan link: here.
First Time in Japan: Northern Kyushu Itinerary, Expenses and Travel Tips (From Hakata in Fukuoka)
From the Nagasaki Train station, we just walked towards the bridge. You can ride a tram but we decided to walk 'cause when we searched Google map, getting to the bridge takes less than 20 minutes.
We had a wifi connection with us for the entire trip so getting around was fairly easy. I suggest you rent your own wifi or buy a Japan simcard especially if you're not the type to ask around or if you're going far from Hakata, Fukuoka.
There are a lot of other stone bridges that cross Nakashima River. However, what makes Megane-bashi a lot more special than the others is because it is the oldest stone arch bridge in the whole of Japan which was constructed in 1632. It has been destroyed in 1982 but was later restored when they recovered the stones.
It wasn't obvious in the picture 'cause was around noon time when we went here but in the afternoon, you'd notice that the bridge and it's reflection on the river looks like a spectacle. Thus, the name Spectacles Bridge.
A friend of mine told me that this photo above is, "lakas maka-anime" I haven't seen a lot of anime tbh but I kinda agree because this whole setting looks very traditional Japanese to me.
It's because we don't have places like this here in Manila that the mere walking on the side of the river is already a delight. We didn't have enough time to explore the upstream nor the downstream of the river but it is kinda similar with the Cheonggyecheon Stream in Seoul.
Cheonggyecheon Stream and Cheonggye Plaza Walk link: here.
There are a lot of other places worth exploring in Nagasaki but we only went there for two; the Spectacles Bridge and the Mount Inasa/Inasayama which is considered one of top three best views in the world. Will be posting about that too.
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