The Tonbe Bridge
The Tenryu Hamanako Railway Tonbe Bridge (天竜浜名湖鉄道富部橋梁) is a steel railway bridge of 1935 on the Tenryu Hamanako Railway about 400 metres east of Sakuragi Station in Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on January 26, 2011 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a four-span steel girder bridge 21 metres long with its abutments and piers; registration number 22-0175.
A Short Girder Bridge over Three Streams
The Tonbe Bridge carries the single track over the point where three tributaries of a small river meet, following a slight curve (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Its piers and abutments are reinforced concrete.
Each steel span is only 5.1 metres long and uses I-beams (Agency for Cultural Affairs). 1935 was the year the first section of the Futamata Line opened, from Kakegawa to Totoumi-Mori, today's Enshu-Mori (Tenryu Hamanako Railway).
Why It Was Registered
It was registered under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is an example of the modest bridges of the line's first section, built from four short I-beam spans.
What to Look For
Look for the four short steel spans, each 5.1 metres, resting on reinforced concrete piers (Agency for Cultural Affairs), and the slight curve of the whole bridge.
Visiting
The Tonbe Bridge is in Tonbe, Kakegawa, near Sakuragi Station, which is unstaffed (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Tenryu Hamanako Railway). The bridge is in daily railway use. Tickets, fares and the turntable tour are covered on the Tenryu Hamanako Railway page. Do not enter the tracks or railway land.
Q&A
- When was the Tenryu Hamanako Railway Tonbe Bridge built?
- In 1935 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is the Tenryu Hamanako Railway Tonbe Bridge?
- In Tonbe, Kakegawa, about 400 metres east of Sakuragi Station (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What should I look for?
- Its four short steel I-beam spans and gentle curve.
- Can I visit the Tenryu Hamanako Railway Tonbe Bridge?
- It is a working railway bridge; the nearest station is Sakuragi.
- When was the Tenryu Hamanako Railway Tonbe Bridge registered?
- On January 26, 2011 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Tenryu Hamanako Railway Tonbe Bridge (天竜浜名湖鉄道富部橋梁) |
|---|---|
| Location | Tonbe, Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2011/01/26 (Heisei 23) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Four-span steel girder bridge, 21 m long, with abutments and piers |
| Owner | Tenryu Hamanako Railway Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | In railway use (no access to the structure) |
References
- Tenryu Hamanako Railway Tonbe Bridge (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00008491
- Cultural Properties along the Line (Tenryu Hamanako Railway, Japanese)
- https://www.tenhama.co.jp/spot/bunkazai/
- Sakuragi Station (Tenryu Hamanako Railway, Japanese)
- https://www.tenhama.co.jp/about/station/sakuragi/
Last verified: 2026.10.14
