Ajisai bridge

The Ajisai bridge in Hakone spans the Hayakawa River with a bright vermilion coat of paint that stands out against the deep greens of the mountain valley. Its name translates to hydrangea bridge because thousands of blue and purple flowers bloom along the riverbanks here every June. Local legend says that a traveler once dropped a precious jade hairpin into these waters, and the bridge was built so that people could stop and search for the treasure in the clear mountain stream below.