The Shin-kyô bridge was originally reserved for the priests of Nikkô and members of the Tokugawa clan. It was built in 1636 on the spot where, according to legend, the monk Shôdô, founder of the Nikkô Futarasan Shrine, is said to have crossed the Daiya river on the backs of two snakes. The red-painted bridge was destroyed by floods in 1902 and reconstructed until 1907.
