When in Hiroshima, a quick visit to Iwakuni will take you to Kitaikyo Bridge the location for Love in Tokyo
Iwakuni, I have not heard of this city inspite of being 26 years in Japan. I know it at best as a distant station on the Shinkansen route beyond Hiroshima. Now this location is actually in the 1966 Bollywood movie Love in Tokyo. This is 1960s and just getting there must have been a task in itself and given that Love In Tokyo does not have the regular Mount Fuji or Kyoto that much covered, it is an interesting choice to go all the way to Yamaguchi Prefecture. The Sanyo Shinkansen Shin Iwakuni Station also opened only in my birthday year 1975! Not sure "Why Iwakuni" and that too, its a paltry one single shot in the movie. Very curious choice.
Movie: Love in Tokyo, Year: 1966
Director: Pramod Chakravorty
Stars: Joy Mukherjee, Asha Parekh, Mehmood, Pran
Filmed in Tokyo, Hiroshima, Kyoto City, they seemed obvious choices. Bu then Love in Tokyo went all the way to Yamaguchi Prefecture! They even went all the way to Iwakuni a place I decided to go only for the sake of this movie. Its so inconveniently located... So which location did they go to, The location is KINTAIKYO BRIDGE, a beautiful 5 arches wooden bridge!
As per Wikipedia built in 1673 this bridge, built on the Nishiki River in Iwakuni CIty has been washed away by floods multiple times and rebuilt everytime with "improveised knowledge". The latest was apparently in the 1950s and probably for Love in Tokyo crew they must have seen some promotional material of this bridge reconstructed for sure in 1960s to pick this as a locatio for the film. Or probably someone, Japanese staff in the filming crew might have hinted it, when they visited Hiroshima (Its just an hour on the train from Hiroshima Station)
Asha (Asha Parekh) in the movie is misinformed that Ashok (Joy Mukherjee) has left for India and is sad. She repeats his song O-Mere-Shah-E-Khuba (sung by Lata-ji) and is seen going around the Miyajima Island in some scenes and towards the end of the song, fleetingly enough, there is this bridge which makes its appearance. For one single shot someone making the trip all the way to Iwakuni City shows some serious dedication!
Iwakuni, reaching this city is a bit of an effort even today. You could take a Sanyo Shinkansen from Hiroshima Station and the next stop is Shin Iwakuni. I took the One Piece Shinkansen to reach this.
Consider not taking the Shinkansen and try out the JR Line from Hiroshima Station to Iwakuni since Shin Iwakuni Station on Shinkansen Line is a station in middle of nowhere. You will need a taxi separately to reach Iwakuni City or a train which is one in one hour frequency. God knows how Love in Tokyo managed this in the 1960s
One thing which makes this bridge a unique location is that in 1950s there was a proposal to make a concrete bridge once and for all so that there are no more flood related washouts, but the locals persisted that they wanted their beloved wooden bridge back and there it still is.
Kintaikyo location
Location : Google Map link here
The full five arch view is a but trick to take so I tried the PANO function of iPhone to take this snap. Try coming here in autumn or like Love in Tokyo where they managed to come here in the cherry blossom season in March. Am sure it will be a beautiful view and that also give better idea of why this location might have been chosen by the film. crew. I have no access to any production notes, but would still have lked to know why they chose this location.
After the bridge comes in for a split second the movie moves back to this Hiroshima Peace Memorial scene. This is the dome structure which survived the nuclear holocaust
The movie was filmed across several Tokyo landmarks including Hibiya Park, Tokyo Tower, Ginza, Ueno Park, Haneda Airport, and the Imperial Palace area.
The movie was filmed across three prominent locations other than Tokyo. Hiroshima, Kyoto and most importantly the Iwakuni City in Yamaguchi Prefecture! Iwakuni is the least known location and many also mistake the Kyoto location as Hiroshima (the song in which the Kyoto location is, has been shot 90% in Hiroshima and 10% in Kyoto)
Absolutely have visited every location. You can check our articles below to see the coverage and visit yourself.
Tokyo Locations - Love in Tokyo filming locatins across Ueno, Ginza, Hibiya, Haneda etc
Kyoto Locations - Heian Shrine in Kyoto for O-Mere-Shah-e-Khuba
Iwakuni Locations - Love in Tokyo FIlming location in Yamaguchi Prefecture
Hiroshima Locations - Hiroshima Peace Memorial and Miyajima Island Ikutsushima Shrine
Yes. Most locations still exist and remain accessible to visitors, although the surrounding cityscape has changed significantly over the last 50 years.
Tokyo Station, Ginza and Akasaka Mitsuke have undergone major redevelopment, while Hibiya Park remains remarkably recognizable.
Tracking down the exact filming locations of the classic 1966 Bollywood hit Love in Tokyo reveals a fascinating "then-and-now" look at Japan's capital. Revisit the pelican fountain at Hibiya Park, Haneda Airport, Ueno, Ginza, etc.
Filming location for Love in Tokyo (1966) in the cultural city of Japan - Kyoto. Heian Jinja
Filming location for Love in Tokyo (1966) in the remote location of Yamaguchi Prefecture in Iwakuni City
