A Meiji Brick-Pier Bridge over the Miya River Gorge
The Former Funaki Bridge (旧舟木橋) is a road bridge over the Miya River gorge between Sahara, Odai Town, Taki District, and Funaki, Taiki Town, Watarai District, Mie Prefecture, with brick piers completed in 1905 carrying a steel Warren truss of 1934, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on December 20, 1996. It carries the prefectural Uchimi-Odai road (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a steel Warren truss bridge on brick piers, 90.2 metres long with a central span of 22.5 metres; registration number 24-0008, owned by Mie Prefecture.
From Ferry Crossing to High Bridge
According to Mie Prefecture's "One Hundred Meiji Views", the bridge links Sahara and Funaki on the Kumano road on the upper Miya River. The site, near the meeting of the Miya and its tributary the Ouchiyama, was a key point with a ferry crossing in the Edo period.
A timber bridge built in 1902 was swept away by floods; work began again in 1904 and the new bridge was completed in July 1905 at a cost of over 28,000 yen. Ninety-seven shaku above the water, fifty ken long and twelve shaku wide, it was very high for its time. In March 1934 the timber deck was replaced with steel, but the Meiji piers were kept. Traffic fell after the Funaki Ohashi bridge on Route 42 opened just upstream in 1967 (Mie Prefecture).
Why It Was Registered
The Former Funaki Bridge was registered as a structure that would be difficult to reproduce. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that its piers, of a distinctive shape on irregular pentagonal bases, show a high level of bridge-building skill. Mie Prefecture presents it among the civil engineering works registered when the system began in 1996.
What to Look For
The highlight of the Former Funaki Bridge is its brick piers of 1905, standing on irregular pentagonal bases (Agency for Cultural Affairs); the white of the joints and corner stones once contrasted beautifully with the red brick (Mie Prefecture).
On the piers rests the steel Warren truss of 1934, pairing Meiji brick with Showa steel (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Its lofty crossing of the deep gorge was described in an old guidebook as rising sheer amid the surrounding mountains (Mie Prefecture).
Getting There
The Former Funaki Bridge carries a prefectural road between Sahara in Odai and Funaki in Taiki, just downstream of the Funaki Ohashi bridge on Route 42 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Mie Prefecture). It can be seen from the surrounding roads; watch for traffic.
Q&A
- When was the Former Funaki Bridge built?
- Its brick piers date from 1905; the steel truss replaced the timber deck in 1934 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Mie Prefecture).
- What was at the site before the Former Funaki Bridge?
- A ferry crossing on the Kumano road, near the meeting of the Miya and Ouchiyama rivers (Mie Prefecture).
- What is special about the piers of the Former Funaki Bridge?
- They are brick, of a distinctive shape on irregular pentagonal bases (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How long is the Former Funaki Bridge?
- 90.2 metres, with a central span of 22.5 metres (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Former Funaki Bridge registered?
- On December 20, 1996.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Funaki Bridge (旧舟木橋) |
|---|---|
| Location | Sahara, Odai Town, Taki District, to Funaki, Taiki Town, Watarai District, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1996/12/20 (Heisei 8) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Steel Warren truss bridge on brick piers, 90.2 metres long, central span 22.5 metres |
| Owner | Mie Prefecture |
| Public Access | Prefectural road bridge; exterior viewable |
References
- Former Funaki Bridge (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000058
- Funaki Bridge (One Hundred Meiji Views, Mie Prefecture)
- https://www.bunka.pref.mie.lg.jp/rekishi/kenshi/asp/meiji/detail.asp?record=472
- Registered cultural properties (Mie Prefecture)
- https://www.bunka.pref.mie.lg.jp/bunkazai/49833039806.htm
Last verified: 2026.10.10