Abekawa Bridge: A Steel Truss Bridge on the Old National Route 1
Abekawa Bridge (安倍川橋, Abekawa-bashi) is a steel truss bridge of 1923 over the lower Abe River between Miroku in Aoi Ward and Tegoshi in Suruga Ward, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2023.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records Abekawa Bridge as a road bridge on the old National Route 1, 491 metres long and 8.8 metres wide (12.3 metres in part), with its abutments and piers. It was renovated in 1968 and 1990 and belongs to Shizuoka City.
Why It Was Registered
Abekawa Bridge is registration number 22-0317, listed under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency describes a 491-metre steel bridge of 13 spans and ranks it as the longest bowstring truss bridge in Japan.
It also calls the bridge one of the earliest large bridges built for motor traffic, a record of the modernisation of the Tokaido. The Japan Society of Civil Engineers selected it as civil engineering heritage in fiscal 2005, as one of the oldest steel truss bridges in the five Chubu prefectures and among the longest bowstring trusses.
What to Look For
From the riverbank you see 13 bowstring trusses in a row, each with an arched top chord. The repetition of the same form over 491 metres defines the bridge.
On the portal bracing at the entrance is a name plaque decorated with a hemisphere, singled out by both the Agency and the civil engineering society. Look up at it before crossing.
Visiting Abekawa Bridge
Abekawa Bridge is a working road bridge and free to cross. Traffic is heavy, so stop only in safe places on the footway.
Shizuoka City's official page on the bridge has moved, and no official access information was found. The bridge links Miroku in Aoi Ward with Tegoshi in Suruga Ward.
Q&A
- What is Abekawa Bridge?
- A steel truss bridge of 1923 over the lower Abe River in Shizuoka City, 491 metres long, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2023.
- What is special about Abekawa Bridge?
- Its 13 bowstring trusses; the Agency calls it the longest bridge of this type in Japan. The hemisphere-decorated name plaque is another feature.
- When was Abekawa Bridge built?
- In 1923; it was renovated in 1968 and 1990.
- Can I walk across Abekawa Bridge?
- Yes, it is a working road bridge; watch for traffic.
- Is Abekawa Bridge recognised as civil engineering heritage?
- Yes, the Japan Society of Civil Engineers selected it in fiscal 2005.
Basic Information
| Name | Abekawa Bridge (安倍川橋) |
|---|---|
| Location | Miroku, Aoi Ward, to Tegoshi, Suruga Ward, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2023/8/7 (Reiwa 5) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Steel truss bridge, 491 metres long, 8.8 metres wide (12.3 metres in part), with abutments and piers |
| Owner | Shizuoka City |
| Public Access | Road bridge in use; free to cross |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Abekawa Bridge (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014607
- Cultural Heritage Online: Abekawa Bridge (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/605159
- Japan Society of Civil Engineers: Abekawa Bridge (Japanese)
- https://committees.jsce.or.jp/heritage/node/383
Last verified: 2026.09.27