Three Bridges Stacked in a Gorge
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Shiroori Bridge (わたらせ渓谷鐵道城下橋梁) is a steel single-span girder bridge built in 1912 at 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 20 metres long, with abutments, registration number 10-0295.
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 Shiroori Bridge crosses the Kawaguchi stream about 40 metres south-west of the Shiroori Tunnel (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Value as a Registered Cultural Property
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Shiroori Bridge was registered as a structure contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records that the box-shaped brackets joining its main girders survive in their original form, without added bracing.
What to Look For
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a single-track 60-foot deck plate girder with J-shaped stiffeners.
Watarase Keikoku Railway's pamphlet notes that the Watarase Keikoku Railway Shiroori Bridge stands 7 metres above the riverbed, with the old Shiroori road bridge above it and the present Route 122 bridge higher still: three tiers of bridges set in an unchanging landscape.
Visiting
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Shiroori Bridge comes into view about a minute after Motojuku Station on a Mato-bound train, or about three and a half minutes 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 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 Shiroori 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 20 metres long, with abutments (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What are the three tiers of bridges?
- The Watarase Keikoku Railway Shiroori Bridge, the old Shiroori road bridge above it and the Route 122 bridge above that (Watarase Keikoku Railway).
- Where can it be seen?
- The Watarase Keikoku Railway Shiroori Bridge comes into view about a minute after Motojuku Station on a Mato-bound train, or about three and a half minutes after Mizunuma Station on a Kiryu-bound train (Watarase Keikoku Railway).
- When was the Watarase Keikoku Railway Shiroori Bridge registered?
- On November 2, 2009.
Basic Information
| Name | Watarase Keikoku Railway Shiroori Bridge (わたらせ渓谷鐵道城下橋梁) |
|---|---|
| Location | 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 20 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 Shiroori Bridge (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007868
- 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
