Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Kumamoto

Kumagawa Railway Takahashigawa Bridge

Kumagawa Railway Takahashigawa Bridge: A 1924 Span in American Steel

A 4.7-metre steel bridge of 1924 near Yunomae on a 12-foot I-beam made by the Carnegie company, almost perfectly symmetrical and 500 metres short of the terminus.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Kumamoto

American Steel Just Short of the Terminus

The Kumagawa Railway Takahashigawa Bridge (くま川鉄道高橋川橋梁, Takahashigawa Kyōryō) is a steel railway bridge in Yunomae Town, Kuma District, Kumamoto Prefecture, completed in 1924 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 19 December 2014. The single-track, single-span bridge is 4.7 metres long and stands about 2 kilometres east of the Hyakutaro Bridge, some 500 metres short of Yunomae, the end of the line.

Spanning the Kamiaraikuchi and Umeki districts, it is one of the two easternmost registered structures on the Kumagawa Railway, the other being the Yunomae station building.

A Carnegie I-Beam

The girder of the Kumagawa Railway Takahashigawa Bridge is a 12-foot I-beam, a single rolled steel section. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, it came from the Carnegie company in the United States.

Up the line, the Uchikado Bridge uses steel from the Lanarkshire Steel Company in Britain and the Gakeshita Bridge steel from Japan's government-run steelworks. Add this American beam, and a single rural branch line of the Taisho era turns out to hold steel from three countries.

The bridge is almost perfectly symmetrical, stone wing walls included, and remains close to its original appearance. It was registered as difficult to reproduce.

What to Look For

Enjoy the symmetry. Seen head on, the abutments and wing walls on either side nearly mirror each other, with the 4.7-metre girder centred between them.

The I-beam here, at 12 feet, is longer than the 8-foot beam at Uchikado and the 6-foot beams at Gakeshita. Visit all three and you see one standard type used at different lengths.

Visiting

The Kumagawa Railway Takahashigawa 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 the terminus, Yunomae, about 500 metres to the east; the adult fare from Hitoyoshi Onsen is 700 yen.

Combine it with a walk to the Yunomae station building, and stay out of fields and private land.

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

Q&A

QWhere is the Kumagawa Railway Takahashigawa Bridge and what is the nearest station?: AIt spans Kamiaraikuchi and Umeki in Yunomae Town, about 500 metres west of Yunomae Station, the terminus.

QWhat kind of bridge is the Kumagawa Railway Takahashigawa Bridge?: AA single-track steel bridge of 1924, 4.7 metres long, carried on a 12-foot I-beam.

QWhere did the steel for the Kumagawa Railway Takahashigawa Bridge come from?: AThe I-beam was made by the Carnegie company in the United States. Other bridges on the line use British and Japanese steel.

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

QCan I take photographs of the Kumagawa Railway Takahashigawa 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 Takahashigawa Bridge (くま川鉄道高橋川橋梁)
Location	Kamiaraikuchi to Umeki, Yunomae Town, Kuma District, Kumamoto Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), registration No. 43-0147
Year Designated	Registered 2014/12/19 (Heisei 26)
Quantity	1 structure
Dimensions	Steel single-span girder bridge, 4.7 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