Amakusa Gohashi

The Amakusa Gohashi Bridge was built in 1936 after Kumamoto Prefectural Assembly member Jishu Mori spoke about the need for a bridge in the assembly. Initially, it was used as a toll road, but after its opening on September 24, 1966, the number of tourists to Amakusa increased rapidly, leading to an increase in traffic volume and making it toll-free nine years later. The section of the national highway between the first and fifth bridges is known as the Amakusa Pearl Line, named after the thriving pearl cultivation in Amakusa, and has been selected as one of Japan's Top 100 Roads.