Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Kumamoto

Kumagawa Railway First Kobashiragawa Bridge

Kumagawa Railway First Kobashiragawa Bridge: Four Spans on Round Piers

A four-span steel bridge of 1923 over the Kobashira River in Nishiki, 42 metres long, its 30-foot deck girders set on round piers of finely laid concrete block.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Kumamoto

Four Spans on Round Piers

The Kumagawa Railway First Kobashiragawa Bridge (くま川鉄道第一高柱川橋梁, Dai-ichi Kōbashiragawa Kyōryō) is a steel railway bridge in Nishi, Nishiki Town, Kuma District, Kumamoto Prefecture, completed in 1923 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 19 December 2014. It carries the single track over the Kobashira River on four steel spans, 42 metres in all, and was repaired in the later Showa period, between 1966 and 1989.

It lies about 400 metres south-east of the site of the Kumagawa Fourth Bridge, which was lost in the 2020 floods. Having crossed the Kuma River, the line enters Nishiki Town and meets the Kobashira River first; the Second Kobashiragawa Bridge follows 150 metres further east.

Thirty-Foot Deck Plate Girders

The girders are 30-foot deck plate girders to circular No. 540, the standard type in which the track rides on top. Four of them are linked end to end on two abutments and three piers.

What gives the Kumagawa Railway First Kobashiragawa Bridge its character is the substructure. Abutments and piers are built of precisely laid concrete block, and the piers are round in section. The row of evenly spaced cylinders sets a steady rhythm across the stream, a view the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out. The bridge was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country.

Compare the Two Kobashiragawa Bridges

The Second Kobashiragawa Bridge, 150 metres east, uses the same 30-foot girder, but its piers are oval. Same stream, same year, same girders; only the piers differ. Walk between the two and the contrast is obvious.

Round piers are generally favoured where the direction of flow is hard to predict. No record explaining the choice here has come to light, but it is worth getting close enough to see how the courses of block follow the curve.

Visiting

The Kumagawa Railway First Kobashiragawa Bridge is in daily service and the track is off limits. You view it from nearby roads and the riverside, free of charge. The nearest station is Higo-Nishinomura, 250 yen from Hitoyoshi Onsen for adults.

Keep an eye on the water level near the river, and stay out of fields and private land. A train crossing the four spans is best framed from a little distance, with the line of piers in view.

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

Q&A

QWhere is the Kumagawa Railway First Kobashiragawa Bridge and what is the nearest station?: AIt is in Minogeta, Nishi, Nishiki Town, about 400 metres south-east of the lost Kumagawa Fourth Bridge. The nearest station is Higo-Nishinomura.

QWhat kind of bridge is the Kumagawa Railway First Kobashiragawa Bridge?: AA single-track steel girder bridge of 1923 with four spans, 42 metres long, using 30-foot deck plate girders to circular No. 540.

QWhat should I look for at the Kumagawa Railway First Kobashiragawa Bridge?: AThe row of round piers in finely laid concrete block. Compare them with the oval piers of the Second Kobashiragawa Bridge nearby.

QHas the Kumagawa Railway First Kobashiragawa Bridge been altered?: AThe national database records repairs in the later Showa period, between 1966 and 1989.

QCan I take photographs of the Kumagawa Railway First Kobashiragawa 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 First Kobashiragawa Bridge (くま川鉄道第一高柱川橋梁)
Location	Minogeta, Nishi, Nishiki Town, Kuma District, Kumamoto Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), registration No. 43-0135
Year Designated	Registered 2014/12/19 (Heisei 26)
Quantity	1 structure
Dimensions	Steel 4-span girder bridge, 42 metres long, with abutments, piers and wing walls
Owner	Kumagawa Railway Co., Ltd.
Public Access	In railway service; no access to the track, exterior visible from nearby roads