The Spectacles Bridge of Shimotsui
The Former Taisho Forest Railway Sagawa Bridge (旧大正林道佐川橋) is a three-span reinforced-concrete arch bridge of a forest railway, built in 1944 over the Yusuhara River at Shimotsui, Shimanto Town, Takaoka District, Kochi Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 7, 2008 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a length of 82 metres and a width of 2.0 metres with stone retaining walls, registration number 39-0245, owned by Shimanto Town. Locally it is known as the Megane-bashi, or Spectacles Bridge (Shimanto Town).
The Taisho Forest Railway
According to Shimanto Town, state forests along the Yusuhara River were logged heavily from the Meiji to the Showa era. In 1911 the Miura timber company of Susaki laid the first forest tramway in the Shimanto basin; the forestry office bought it in 1925, set up a timber yard at Tanono (now Taisho, Shimanto Town) and extended the line inland, creating the Taisho line along the Yusuhara River to Shimotsui.
Shimanto Town says the line was later extended from Sakashima to the state forest of Mt Sagawa at Shimotsui, and the Former Taisho Forest Railway Sagawa Bridge was built where the Haraigawa joins the Yusuhara River. The present bridge replaced an earlier one in 1944, when a dam was to flood the old track.
Value as a Registered Cultural Property
The Former Taisho Forest Railway Sagawa Bridge was registered as a structure contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it the largest and most representative bridge of the former Taisho forest railway.
Shimanto Town presents the Former Taisho Forest Railway Sagawa Bridge as a symbol of state forestry in the Shimanto basin and as a component of the Cultural Landscape of the Shimanto River Basin (Taisho Oku-Shimanto Area).
What to Look For
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a central segmental arch of 30 metres flanked by two 20-metre arches, with stone walls laid in a diagonal pattern along both banks. Shimanto Town gives the height of the Former Taisho Forest Railway Sagawa Bridge as 20 metres.
Shimotsui lies on the scenic shore of the Tsuga Dam lake and is known for Shimotsui Onsen. A walking trail laid out by Shimanto Town from Shimomichi to Shimotsui ends at the Former Taisho Forest Railway Sagawa Bridge (Shimanto Town).
Visiting
The Former Taisho Forest Railway Sagawa Bridge is an outdoor structure that can be reached as the end point of the walking trail (Shimanto Town). It stands at Ogura-toko, Shimotsui, Shimanto Town; take care with footing and weather in the mountains. See the group page Former Taisho Forest Railway (Shimanto) for all four structures.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kochi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Taisho Forest Railway Sagawa Bridge
- [ Katsurahama Beach & Kochi Castle Ryoma Tour ]
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1944, replacing an earlier bridge when a dam was to flood the old track (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Shimanto Town).
- What kind of bridge is it?
- An 82-metre reinforced-concrete bridge of three segmental arches, the central one spanning 30 metres (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is its nickname?
- Megane-bashi, the Spectacles Bridge (Shimanto Town).
- What did it carry?
- Forest railway trains taking timber from the Mt Sagawa state forest to the timber yard at Tanono (Shimanto Town).
- When was the Former Taisho Forest Railway Sagawa Bridge registered?
- On March 7, 2008.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Taisho Forest Railway Sagawa Bridge (旧大正林道佐川橋) |
|---|---|
| Location | Ogura-toko, Shimotsui, Shimanto Town, Takaoka District, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2008/03/07 (Heisei 20) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Reinforced-concrete three-span arch bridge, length 82 metres, width 2.0 metres, with stone walls |
| Owner | Shimanto Town |
| Public Access | Outdoor viewing (end of a walking trail) |
References
- Former Taisho Forest Railway Sagawa Bridge (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00006946
- Cultural Landscape of the Shimanto River Basin, Taisho Oku-Shimanto Area 1 (Shimanto Town)
- https://www.town.shimanto.lg.jp/life/detail.php?hdnKey=1284
- Cultural Landscape of the Shimanto River Basin, Taisho Oku-Shimanto Area 2 (Shimanto Town)
- https://www.town.shimanto.lg.jp/life/detail.php?hdnKey=1283
Last verified: 2026.10.11
