English Version
Rumors about Kototoi Bridge say that, late at night, the spirit of a woman in an old-fashioned kimono can be seen standing on the bridge.
Other stories claim that countless scorch marks remain on the stonework of the railing, and that bloodstains can still be seen on the metal plate bearing the bridge’s name. These details are part of the bridge’s dark local lore, and should be treated as rumors rather than confirmed facts.
According to one grim legend connected to the Great Tokyo Air Raid of March 10, 1945, people fleeing the fires became trapped and unable to move on Kototoi Bridge. The story says that, one after another, they threw themselves from the railing into the Sumida River.
Location: 2-1 Hanakawado, Taito City, Tokyo.
Kototoi Bridge is a real, active bridge. If you visit, stay on public pedestrian areas, do not enter restricted spaces, and be respectful of the site’s wartime history.
Japanese Language
古い着物姿の女性の霊が、夜中に橋の上に立っているという噂があります。また、欄干の石垣には無数の焦げ跡が残っている、言問橋と書いてある鉄板には血のシミが残っているという話もあります。1945年3月10日の東京大空襲の際に、逃げ惑う人達が言問橋の上で身動きが取れなくなり、次々と欄干から隅田川に身を投げたという言い伝えがあります。東京都台東区花川戸２丁目１
