Six Spans Over the Yoro River
The Kominato Railway First Yorogawa Bridge (小湊鉄道第一養老川橋梁, Dai-ichi Yōrōgawa Kyōryō) is a six-span steel girder bridge built around 1925 over the Yoro River in the Futsukaichiba district of Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 2, 2017. Chiba Prefecture's list of cultural properties groups all twenty-two Kominato listings under this bridge's name.
It stands about 1 kilometer southwest of the Second Shibanoshita Bridge, where the line first crosses the Yoro River.
Long Girders Where the Water Runs
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records the Kominato Railway First Yorogawa Bridge as a single-track, six-span steel girder bridge 95 meters long, with abutments and piers. No other bridge on the line has as many spans, and the agency calls it the railway's representative bridge.
Its plate girders come in two lengths, 19 meters and 13 meters. The longer ones sit over the low-water channel where the river normally flows, and the shorter ones fill out the rest of the crossing.
The railway company gives the length as 93.34 meters; this article uses the agency's 95 meters.
Seeing It
The Kominato Railway First Yorogawa Bridge carries a working line, so view it from the riverbank or nearby roads, outside the track. Seen side-on, the longer spans over the main channel are easy to pick out.
Keep off the riverbed when the water is high. As of September 25, 2026, trains between Goi and Kazusa Ushiku were running normally.
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Q&A
- When was the Kominato Railway First Yorogawa Bridge built?
- Around 1925, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
- How long is the First Yorogawa Bridge?
- The agency lists it at 95 meters over six spans; the railway company gives 93.34 meters.
- What is distinctive about the Kominato Railway First Yorogawa Bridge's girders?
- It mixes 19-meter and 13-meter plate girders, placing the longer ones over the low-water channel.
- Why is the First Yorogawa Bridge considered the line's signature bridge?
- With six spans it has more than any other bridge on the Kominato Railway.
- Where can I see the First Yorogawa Bridge?
- From the riverbank or nearby roads; the track itself is off limits.
Basic Information
| Name | Kominato Railway First Yorogawa Bridge (小湊鉄道第一養老川橋梁) |
|---|---|
| Location | 250-3 Kawakaketachigaeri to 876-3 Karakandani, Futsukaichiba, Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2017/5/2 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Six-span steel girder bridge, 95 meters long, with abutments and piers |
| Owner | Kominato Railway Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Working line; view from outside the track only |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 小湊鉄道第一養老川橋梁
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011464
- Cultural Heritage Online: 小湊鉄道第一養老川橋梁
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/294170
- Kominato Railway: 22 facilities registered as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Japanese)
- https://www.kominato.co.jp/corporate/topics/heritage/index.html
- Chiba Prefectural Board of Education: Designated and registered cultural properties in Ichihara (Japanese)
- https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/kyouiku/bunkazai/shitei/shichouson/ichihara.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
