A Small Bridge by the Kojise Gorge
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Edogawa Bridge (わたらせ渓谷鐵道江戸川橋梁) is a steel single-span girder bridge built in 1912 at Shimotazawa, Kurohone-cho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 2, 2009 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a steel single-span girder bridge 5.6 metres long, with abutments, registration number 10-0293.
The Ashio Copper Railway
According to Watarase Keikoku Railway, the Ashio copper mine, bought by Furukawa Ichibei in 1877, grew to produce half of Japan's copper, more than horses and a horse tramway could carry, so a railway was built from Kiryu to Ashio. The Ashio Railway opened to Omama in 1911, reached Ashio in December 1912 and was completed to Ashio Honzan in 1914. Nationalised in 1918 as the Ashio Line, it has been run by Watarase Keikoku Railway since 1989.
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Edogawa Bridge crosses the Edogawa stream about 520 metres south of the Fudosawa Bridge (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Value as a Registered Cultural Property
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Edogawa Bridge was registered as a structure contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that, like the Mizunumazawa Bridge, it is among the largest standard I-beam spans of the Meiji and Taisho periods.
What to Look For
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a standard Type 875 I-beam girder rolled from Dorman Long steel.
Watarase Keikoku Railway's pamphlet notes that between the Watarase Keikoku Railway Edogawa Bridge and Motojuku Station the line threads the valley overlooking the Kojise Gorge, known for its autumn colours.
Visiting
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Edogawa Bridge comes into view about three and a half minutes after Motojuku Station on a Mato-bound train, or about a minute after Mizunuma Station on a Kiryu-bound train (Watarase Keikoku Railway). Watarase Keikoku Railway notes that all of its registered structures can be seen from the train.
Do not enter the tracks; view it from the train, the station or nearby roads. It is located at Shimotazawa, Kurohone-cho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture. Of the line's 38 registered structures, the 26 in Gunma and 11 in Tochigi are gathered on the group pages Watarase Keikoku Railway (Gunma Section) and Watarase Keikoku Railway (Tochigi Section).
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Gunma
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Watarase Keikoku Railway Edogawa Bridge
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Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1912 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is it built?
- A steel single-span girder bridge 5.6 metres long, with abutments (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Whose steel was used?
- Steel from Dorman Long (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where can it be seen?
- The Watarase Keikoku Railway Edogawa Bridge comes into view about three and a half minutes after Motojuku Station on a Mato-bound train, or about a minute after Mizunuma Station on a Kiryu-bound train (Watarase Keikoku Railway).
- When was the Watarase Keikoku Railway Edogawa Bridge registered?
- On November 2, 2009.
Basic Information
| Name | Watarase Keikoku Railway Edogawa Bridge (わたらせ渓谷鐵道江戸川橋梁) |
|---|---|
| Location | Shimotazawa, Kurohone-cho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2009/11/02 (Heisei 21) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Steel single-span girder bridge, length 5.6 metres, with abutments |
| Owner | Not listed in the national database (line operated by Watarase Keikoku Railway Co., Ltd.) |
| Public Access | Visible from the train |
References
- Watarase Keikoku Railway Edogawa Bridge (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007866
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Watarase Keikoku Railway, in Japanese)
- https://www.watetsu.com/sightseeing/culture.php
- Pamphlet: Railway Heritage from the Train Window, map notes (Watarase Keikoku Railway, in Japanese)
- https://www.watetsu.com/assets/pdf/sightseeing/culture_yukei_des02.pdf
- History (Watarase Keikoku Railway, in Japanese)
- https://www.watetsu.com/company/history.php
Last verified: 2026.10.12
