Eight Bridges

About

The Eight Bridges (Hepburn: Yatsuhashi), in Japanese literature, was a historical and semi-legendary construction in Mikawa Province (modern-day Aichi Prefecture) mentioned in Japanese poetry. It was described in The Tales of Ise, a collection of poems written during the Heian period, and became a well known literary motif in Japan. Over time the bridge, which became stylised into a zig-zag shape, was incorporated into a large range of art forms: kimonos, writing boxes, screens and porcelain, ukiyo-e prints and garden landscapes. In the modern day, it can also be found as an architectural motif of Japanese-style constructions abroad.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.