Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Kumamoto

Kumagawa Railway Second Kakui Bridge

Kumagawa Railway Second Kakui Bridge: A 1923 Two-Span Concrete Bridge

A two-span concrete bridge of 1923 in Nishiki, 4.3 metres long, apparently derived from a box-culvert design, with a cutwater on its pier and stone wing walls.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Kumamoto

Two Spans in Reinforced Concrete

The Kumagawa Railway Second Kakui Bridge (くま川鉄道第二覚井橋梁, Dai-ni Kakui Kyōryō) is a reinforced-concrete railway bridge in Ichibu, Nishiki Town, Kuma District, Kumamoto Prefecture, completed in 1923 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 19 December 2014. It has two spans, 4.3 metres in all, and stands about 2 kilometres north-east of the Uchikado Bridge, in the same Ichibu district as Ichibu Station.

Most of the registered bridges on the line are steel. Here girders and pier alike are concrete; the only other concrete girder bridge on the list is the Miyata Bridge in Taragi.

A Culvert Design Stretched to Two Spans

The Agency for Cultural Affairs suggests that the Kumagawa Railway Second Kakui Bridge was derived from a standard design for a single-span box culvert, the boxy concrete opening used to pass water under a railway, stretched here into two spans.

The result is a structure in which girders, pier and abutments read as one piece, rather like a rigid frame. The south face of the central pier carries a cutwater to split the flow. The wing walls beside the abutments are stone, laid to a batter of three in ten.

The bridge was registered as difficult to reproduce, an example of a Taisho-era concrete structure that started from a standard design and was adapted to its site.

What to Look For

Look for the cutwater on the south face of the pier. Only the upstream side is pointed, a design that assumes the water always arrives from one direction. Compare it with the plain north face.

The stone wing walls rise at a steep batter. The pairing of a boxlike concrete body with sloping stone faces gives this small bridge its outline.

Visiting

The Kumagawa Railway Second Kakui Bridge is in daily service, and the track is off limits. View it from nearby roads and channels, free of charge. The nearest station is Ichibu, 340 yen from Hitoyoshi Onsen for adults.

At 4.3 metres it is hard to spot from the train. Stay out of fields and private land and look from the road.

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

Q&A

QWhere is the Kumagawa Railway Second Kakui Bridge and what is the nearest station?: AIt is in Oki, Ichibu, Nishiki Town, about 2 kilometres north-east of the Uchikado Bridge. The nearest station is Ichibu.

QWhat kind of bridge is the Kumagawa Railway Second Kakui Bridge?: AA reinforced-concrete girder bridge of 1923 with two spans and a total length of 4.3 metres.

QWhat should I look for at the Kumagawa Railway Second Kakui Bridge?: AIts rigid-frame-like form derived from a box-culvert design, the cutwater on the south face of the pier, and the battered stone wing walls.

QCan visitors see the Kumagawa Railway Second Kakui Bridge?: AYes, from nearby roads, free of charge. It is a working railway bridge, so the track is closed to the public.

QCan I take photographs of the Kumagawa Railway Second Kakui 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 Second Kakui Bridge (くま川鉄道第二覚井橋梁)
Location	Oki, Ichibu, Nishiki Town, Kuma District, Kumamoto Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), registration No. 43-0138
Year Designated	Registered 2014/12/19 (Heisei 26)
Quantity	1 structure
Dimensions	Reinforced-concrete 2-span girder bridge, 4.3 metres long, with abutments, pier and wing walls
Owner	Kumagawa Railway Co., Ltd.
Public Access	In railway service; no access to the track, exterior visible from nearby roads