Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Kumamoto

Kumagawa Railway Miyata Bridge

Kumagawa Railway Miyata Bridge: A 1923 Concrete Skew Bridge

A concrete skew bridge of 1923 in Taragi, 4.6 metres long with an 8-foot span to design No. 1305, whose stone wing walls curve to follow the irrigation channel.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Kumamoto

A Concrete Span Skewed Across a Channel

The Kumagawa Railway Miyata Bridge (くま川鉄道宮田橋梁, Miyata Kyōryō) is a reinforced-concrete railway bridge in Kotaragi, Taragi Town, Kuma District, Kumamoto Prefecture, completed in 1923 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 19 December 2014. It is a single span 4.6 metres long, about 1.8 kilometres north-east of the Iguchigawa Bridge.

Beneath it runs an irrigation channel. Because track and channel do not meet at right angles, the span is set askew to follow the water, a form known as a skew bridge.

Standard Design No. 1305

The Kumagawa Railway Miyata Bridge follows circular No. 1305, a standard design for a skewed reinforced-concrete girder, here with an 8-foot span between the abutments. It crosses the gap without steel, and it is one of only two concrete girder bridges among the registered structures; the other is the Second Kakui Bridge in Nishiki.

Stone wing walls beside the abutments curve gently to follow the line of the channel. Rather than running straight, the masonry was laid round the bend of the watercourse, a careful response to the site. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that bridge and wing walls survive in good original condition, and the bridge was registered as difficult to reproduce.

What to Look For

The wing walls are the thing to see. From upstream or downstream along the channel, rather than square on, you can follow the stonework as it bends with the edge of the water.

Check the skew as well. The ends of the span are cut at an angle to the banks, so the mismatch between the line of the railway and the line of the water is built into the structure itself.

Visiting

The Kumagawa Railway Miyata Bridge is in daily service, and the track is off limits. View it from nearby roads and the channel side, free of charge. It lies on the stretch between Higashi-Menda and Taragi stations; adult fares from Hitoyoshi Onsen are 530 yen and 590 yen respectively.

At 4.6 metres it is hard to spot from the train. The irrigation channel is a working part of local farming, so stay out of the water, the fields and private land.

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

Q&A

QWhere is the Kumagawa Railway Miyata Bridge?: AIn Kotaragi, Taragi Town, on the stretch between Higashi-Menda and Taragi stations, about 1.8 kilometres north-east of the Iguchigawa Bridge.

QWhat kind of bridge is the Kumagawa Railway Miyata Bridge?: AA reinforced-concrete skew bridge of 1923 with a single 8-foot span, 4.6 metres long, built to standard design No. 1305.

QWhat should I look for at the Kumagawa Railway Miyata Bridge?: AThe stone wing walls that curve to follow the irrigation channel, and the skewed ends of the span.

QCan visitors see the Kumagawa Railway Miyata Bridge?: AYes, from nearby roads, free of charge. The track is closed to the public.

QCan I take photographs of the Kumagawa Railway Miyata 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 Miyata Bridge (くま川鉄道宮田橋梁)
Location	Kotaragi, Taragi, Taragi Town, Kuma District, Kumamoto Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), registration No. 43-0143
Year Designated	Registered 2014/12/19 (Heisei 26)
Quantity	1 structure
Dimensions	Reinforced-concrete single-span girder bridge, 4.6 metres long, with abutments and wing walls
Owner	Kumagawa Railway Co., Ltd.
Public Access	In railway service; no access to the track, exterior visible from nearby roads