Japan's First Full-Scale Prestressed Concrete Railway Bridge
The First Daidogawa Railway Bridge (第一大戸川橋梁) is a railway bridge of the Shigaraki Kohgen Railway over the Daido River at Chokushi, Shigaraki-cho, Koka City, Shiga Prefecture, completed on August 26, 1954, as Japan's first full-scale post-tensioned prestressed concrete bridge, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on August 2, 2021 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Koka City).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a prestressed concrete simple girder bridge 31.0 metres long with wing walls, owned by Koka City.
A Lost Bridge and a New Technique
According to Koka City, the earlier bridge of the national railway's Shigaraki Line, opened in 1933, was washed away by heavy rain in August 1953, and this bridge replaced it. To withstand future floods it was designed without piers, as a single-track simple girder 31 metres long with a 30-metre span.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it drew on concrete expertise built up by the national railways since the prewar Ministry of Railways. Koka City adds that prestressed concrete railway bridges were then rare worldwide; concrete precompressed by tendons gave high strength and resisted cracking.
Value as an Important Cultural Property
The First Daidogawa Railway Bridge was designated an Important Cultural Property in 2021 for its technical excellence and academic value. The Agency for Cultural Affairs praises it as a fine concrete structure that still keeps its high quality, and notes that detailed construction records contributed to postwar concrete research.
What to Look For
Koka City notes that it crosses the river in a single span without piers, with reinforced-concrete wing walls on each side of the abutments. Test specimens placed near the bridge allow long-term ageing to be studied.
The First Daidogawa Railway Bridge remains in good condition close to its original state and still carries local trains (Koka City).
Visiting
The First Daidogawa Railway Bridge is at Chokushi, Shigaraki-cho, Koka City, and trains of the Shigaraki Kohgen Railway still cross it. Koka City asks visitors, for safety, not to go near the tracks.
View and photograph it from roads and other safe places. Enquiries go to Koka City.
Q&A
- When was the bridge completed?
- On August 26, 1954 (Koka City).
- Why does it have no piers?
- The previous bridge was washed away in 1953, so it was designed without piers to withstand floods (Koka City).
- What made it innovative?
- It was Japan's first full-scale post-tensioned prestressed concrete bridge, a method then rare for railway bridges worldwide (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Koka City).
- Is it still in use?
- Yes, it carries Shigaraki Kohgen Railway trains (Koka City).
- When was the First Daidogawa Railway Bridge designated?
- On August 2, 2021.
Basic Information
| Name | First Daidogawa Railway Bridge (第一大戸川橋梁) |
|---|---|
| Location | Chokushi, Shigaraki-cho, Koka City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 2021/08/02 (Reiwa 3) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Prestressed concrete simple girder bridge, 31.0 metres long, with wing walls |
| Owner | Koka City |
| Public Access | Working railway bridge; keep off the tracks |
References
- First Daidogawa Railway Bridge (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/00005361
- First Daidogawa Railway Bridge Designated an Important Cultural Property (Koka City)
- https://www.city.koka.lg.jp/16268.htm
Last verified: 2026.10.11