Spectacles Bridge is said to have been built by the Zen priest Mokusu Nyojo of Kofuku-ji Temple in 1634 (Kan'ei 11). It is said to have got its name from the fact that the reflection of the bridge on the river surface forms a double JPY that looks like "glasses," and it is counted as one of Japan's three most famous bridges, along with Nihonbashi Bridge in Tokyo and Kintai Bridge in Yamaguchi.
Although it was partially destroyed in the Nagasaki flood of 1982, it was restored the following year and has been designated a national important cultural property.