Seta no Karahashi (Seta Bridge) is depicted in Hiroshige Utagawa’s ukiyoe “Eight Views of Omi” as “Seta no Yusho” (Seta’s Evening Light).
It is a large bridge with a total length of approximately 227 meters and is designated as one of the three most famous bridges in Japan.
The history of the Seta Karahashi Bridge is long, and there are many anecdotes from it.
The Seta Karahashi Bridge is the origin of the Japanese equivalent of “Haste Makes Waste”
In those days, it was faster to cross Lake Biwa from Yabashi in Kusatsu (a short distance) to Otsu by boat to Kyoto, but the strong winds blowing down from Mount Hiei made it a dangerous route, so this poem was composed in the sense that it was safer to go through Seta Karabashi (a longer distance) if in a hurry.
