Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Kumamoto

Kumagawa Railway Daiogawa Bridge

Kumagawa Railway Daiogawa Bridge: A 1923 Standard Plate Girder

A 7.3-metre steel railway bridge of 1923 in Hitoyoshi: a 20-foot plate girder to standard design No. 540, with crimped stiffeners, on abutments of concrete block.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Kumamoto

A Twenty-Foot Standard Girder

The Kumagawa Railway Daiogawa Bridge (くま川鉄道大王川橋梁, Daiōgawa Kyōryō) is a steel railway bridge in Shiromotomachi, Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture, completed in 1923 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 19 December 2014. It lies about 170 metres east of the Omizo Bridge, itself just east of Hitoyoshi Onsen Station.

The bridge is 7.3 metres long: a single-track, single-span steel girder resting on abutments of concrete block. The girder is a 20-foot plate girder built to circular No. 540, one of the standard designs issued by the railway authorities of the time.

Crimped Stiffeners

Look closely at the Kumagawa Railway Daiogawa Bridge and you will see vertical stiffeners along the web, the thin central plate of the girder. Stiffeners stop the web from buckling. On this girder their ends are crimped, bent to follow the flange angles, so that they lock more tightly into the web. It is a detail of the No. 540 design and a reminder of how riveted steel bridges were put together.

The abutments are laid in concrete block. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes girder and abutments together as a measure of Taisho-era engineering. The bridge was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country.

Compare It with Its Neighbour

The Kumagawa Railway Daiogawa Bridge carries the track on top of the girder in the usual way. Its western neighbour, the Omizo Bridge, sinks the rails between its girders. Two bridges 170 metres apart, built in the same year, arrive at different solutions.

On the girder face, find the point where each stiffener bends into the flange. Low morning or evening light raking across the steel brings out the rivet lines and the relief of the stiffeners best.

Visiting

The Kumagawa Railway Daiogawa Bridge is in daily service and the track is off limits. View it from the surrounding streets; there is no charge. The nearest station is Hitoyoshi Onsen. Walk east past the Omizo Bridge and you can see both registered bridges in one short outing.

No specific restriction on photography from public roads has been announced, but stay out of fields and private land.

📍 Plan Your Visit to Kumamoto: Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kumagawa Railway Daiogawa Bridge; [ Kumamoto Castle & Mt. Aso Volcano Tours ]

Q&A

QWhere is the Kumagawa Railway Daiogawa Bridge and what is the nearest station?: AIt is in Daio, Shiromotomachi, Hitoyoshi City. The nearest station is Hitoyoshi Onsen; the bridge is about 170 metres east of the Omizo Bridge.

QHow is the Kumagawa Railway Daiogawa Bridge built?: AIt is a 7.3-metre single-track steel girder bridge: a 20-foot plate girder to circular No. 540 on concrete-block abutments.

QWhat should I look for at the Kumagawa Railway Daiogawa Bridge?: AThe crimped ends of the web stiffeners, and the contrast with the trough-girder Omizo Bridge next door.

QCan visitors see the Kumagawa Railway Daiogawa Bridge?: AYes, from nearby roads. It is a working railway bridge, so the track itself is closed to the public. There is no charge.

QCan I take photographs of the Kumagawa Railway Daiogawa Bridge?: ANo specific restriction on photography from public roads and other permitted places has been announced. Do not enter the track, fields or private land. Commercial filming and press coverage go through the Kumagawa Railway's filming and coverage request page.

Basic Information

Name	Kumagawa Railway Daiogawa Bridge (くま川鉄道大王川橋梁)
Location	Daio, Shiromotomachi, Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), registration No. 43-0131
Year Designated	Registered 2014/12/19 (Heisei 26)
Quantity	1 structure
Dimensions	Steel single-span girder bridge, 7.3 metres long, with abutments
Owner	Kumagawa Railway Co., Ltd.
Public Access	In railway service; no access to the track, exterior visible from nearby roads