A Stone Arch on the Old Kochi-Uwajima Road
The Kitanokawaguchi Bridge (北の川口橋) is a single-span stone arch road bridge of 1919 at Showa, Shimanto Town, Takaoka District, Kochi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 7, 2008. It crosses the lowest reach of the Kitanokawa, a right-bank tributary, close to where it joins the Shimanto River (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a single-span stone arch bridge 18 metres long and 3.4 metres wide; registration number 39-0244, owned by Shimanto Town.
The Road from Kochi to Uwajima
According to Shimanto Town, Kochi Prefecture drew up a century plan for its roads in 1885, and work on the Kubokawa-Uwajima prefectural road began around 1897; the bridge was built for this road. It is said to have been built either by the Katada family of masons from Aki District in Kochi or by masons from Iyo.
The Kubokawa-Uwajima road became National Route 381 in 1975, and the bridge long carried traffic up and down the Shimanto valley and across the border to Uwajima. Now the old bridge beside the present Route 381, it serves as a town road open to vehicles (Shimanto Town).
Why It Was Registered
The Kitanokawaguchi Bridge was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs places it on the old trunk road linking Kochi and Uwajima, and Shimanto Town values it for the history of trade, travel and road building in the middle Shimanto valley.
What to Look For
The Kitanokawaguchi Bridge is a near-semicircular single-span stone arch of 13.5 metres built on bedrock, its spandrel walls laid in finely coursed masonry (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Shimanto Town gives its length as 18 metres, width 3.4 metres and span between abutments 15 metres. The arch at the meeting of the Kitanokawa and the Shimanto shows the skill of Taisho-era masons.
Visiting the Kitanokawaguchi Bridge
The Kitanokawaguchi Bridge is still used as a town road and is open to vehicles (Shimanto Town). It is at Showa, Shimanto Town; other registered bridges such as the Taisho Bridge lie along the Shimanto River nearby (Kochi Prefecture).
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kochi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kitanokawaguchi Bridge
- [ Katsurahama Beach & Kochi Castle Ryoma Tour ]
Q&A
- When was the Kitanokawaguchi Bridge built?
- In 1919 (Agency for Cultural Affairs); Shimanto Town says the mid-Taisho era.
- What road did the Kitanokawaguchi Bridge serve?
- The Kubokawa-Uwajima road, later National Route 381, linking Kochi and Uwajima (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Shimanto Town).
- Who built the Kitanokawaguchi Bridge?
- Either the Katada masons of Aki District or masons from Iyo (Shimanto Town).
- What is distinctive about the Kitanokawaguchi Bridge?
- A near-semicircular stone arch on bedrock with finely coursed spandrels (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Kitanokawaguchi Bridge registered?
- On March 7, 2008.
Basic Information
| Name | Kitanokawaguchi Bridge (北の川口橋) |
|---|---|
| Location | Showa, Shimanto Town, Takaoka District, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2008/3/7 (Heisei 20) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Single-span stone arch bridge, 18 metres long, 3.4 metres wide |
| Owner | Shimanto Town |
| Public Access | Open as a town road |
References
- Kitanokawaguchi Bridge (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00006945
- Cultural properties of the middle Shimanto valley (Shimanto Town)
- https://www.town.shimanto.lg.jp/outer/bunka/churyu_02.php
- Registered tangible cultural properties (Kochi Prefecture)
- https://www.pref.kochi.lg.jp/doc/2023062200186/
Last verified: 2026.10.09