One of Japan's Oldest Steel Arch Bridges
The Otoshi Bridge (遠登志橋) is a steel arch bridge of the Besshi copper mine of 1905 in Tatsukawacho, Niihama City, Ehime Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on December 26, 2005 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single steel arch bridge 48 metres long and 2.4 metres wide, altered in 1992; registration number 38-0066.
A Bridge That Also Carried Mine Water
The Otoshi Bridge spans the Kojoro River, a tributary of the Kokuryo River running north to south through the hills of Niihama; it was built within the Besshi copper mine as a road bridge that also carried a channel for mine water (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is a steel spandrel-braced single-arch bridge 48 metres long with a span of 37 metres, its arch of I-beams pinned at both ends.
According to Niihama City's plan for the Hadeba and Toyo zones, in 1993 a new bridge was laid above the Meiji-period arch, which was kept so that it would carry no load.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape and counts it among the oldest surviving steel arch bridges in Japan.
What to Look For
Look for the I-beam arch and its pin bearings, with the new bridge laid above it (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Niihama City).
Visiting
It is owned by Niihama City (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on public access was found.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1905 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What was it for?
- A road bridge that also carried mine water in the Besshi mine.
- How is it built?
- A steel spandrel-braced single arch spanning 37 metres.
- What is it like now?
- A new bridge was laid above it in 1993; the Meiji arch is preserved (Niihama City).
- When was the Otoshi Bridge registered?
- On December 26, 2005 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Otoshi Bridge (遠登志橋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 620-1 Tatsukawacho, Niihama City, Ehime Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2005/12/26 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Steel single arch, 48 m long, 2.4 m wide |
| Owner | Niihama City |
| Public Access | No official information on access |
References
- Otoshi Bridge (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005202
- Plan for the Hadeba and Toyo zones (Niihama City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.niihama.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/10055.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.24