A Bridge Close to Mizunuma Station
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Fudosawa Bridge (わたらせ渓谷鐵道不動沢橋梁) is a steel two-span girder bridge built in 1912 at Mizunuma, 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 2-span girder bridge 16 metres long, with abutments and a pier, registration number 10-0292.
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 Fudosawa Bridge crosses the Fudosawa stream about 600 metres west of the Mizunumazawa Bridge (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Value as a Registered Cultural Property
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Fudosawa Bridge was registered as a structure contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records coursed masonry in a near-Flemish bond surviving on the abutments and part of the pier.
What to Look For
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes one span of standard Type 1084 plate girder and one of Type 875 I-beam rolled from Dorman Long steel.
Watarase Keikoku Railway's pamphlet notes that the Watarase Keikoku Railway Fudosawa Bridge, just south of Mizunuma Station, is one of the few bridges that can be seen close up. Its stone pier was added in 1937; cherry trees bloom in Kurohone Sports Park in spring.
Visiting
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Fudosawa Bridge comes into view about four and a half minutes after Motojuku Station on a Mato-bound train, or about 15 seconds 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 Mizunuma, 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 Fudosawa Bridge
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Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1912, altered in 1937 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is it built?
- A steel 2-span girder bridge 16 metres long, with abutments and a pier (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the pier built?
- The stone pier was added in 1937 (Watarase Keikoku Railway).
- Where can it be seen?
- The Watarase Keikoku Railway Fudosawa Bridge comes into view about four and a half minutes after Motojuku Station on a Mato-bound train, or about 15 seconds after Mizunuma Station on a Kiryu-bound train (Watarase Keikoku Railway).
- When was the Watarase Keikoku Railway Fudosawa Bridge registered?
- On November 2, 2009.
Basic Information
| Name | Watarase Keikoku Railway Fudosawa Bridge (わたらせ渓谷鐵道不動沢橋梁) |
|---|---|
| Location | Mizunuma, 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 2-span girder bridge, length 16 metres, with abutments and pier |
| 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 Fudosawa Bridge (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007865
- 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
