A Bridge among Miners' Houses
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Arikoshizawa Bridge (わたらせ渓谷鐵道有越沢橋梁) is a steel single-span girder bridge built in 1912 at Ashio-machi, Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 2, 2009 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a steel single-span girder bridge 14 metres long, with abutments, registration number 09-0187.
The Ashio Copper Railway
According to Watarase Keikoku Railway, the Ashio copper mine, bought by Furukawa Ichibei in 1877, grew to produce half of Japan's copper, more than horses and a horse tramway could carry, so a railway was built from Kiryu to Ashio. The Ashio Railway opened to Omama in 1911, reached Ashio in December 1912 and was completed to Ashio Honzan in 1914. Nationalised in 1918 as the Ashio Line, it has been run by Watarase Keikoku Railway since 1989.
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Arikoshizawa Bridge crosses the Arikoshizawa stream about 200 metres west of the Tsudo Bridge (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Value as a Registered Cultural Property
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Arikoshizawa Bridge was registered as a structure contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records finely laid granite abutments in a near-English bond.
What to Look For
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a single-track plate girder with J-shaped stiffeners, its two main girders joined by box-shaped brackets of T-section steel.
Watarase Keikoku Railway's pamphlet notes that many company houses for Ashio mine staff and miners survive near the Watarase Keikoku Railway Arikoshizawa Bridge, giving a view that recalls the working days of the mine.
Visiting
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Arikoshizawa Bridge comes into view about three and a half minutes after Haramuko Station on a Mato-bound train, or about a minute after Tsudo Station on a Kiryu-bound train (Watarase Keikoku Railway). Watarase Keikoku Railway notes that all of its registered structures can be seen from the train.
Do not enter the tracks; view it from the train, the station or nearby roads. It is located at Ashio-machi, Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture. Of the line's 38 registered structures, the 26 in Gunma and 11 in Tochigi are gathered on the group pages Watarase Keikoku Railway (Gunma Section) and Watarase Keikoku Railway (Tochigi Section).
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Tochigi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Watarase Keikoku Railway Arikoshizawa Bridge
- [ Nikko Toshogu Shrine & Kegon Falls Day Trip ]
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1912 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is it built?
- A steel single-span girder bridge 14 metres long, with abutments (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is nearby?
- Many company houses built for Ashio mine staff and miners (Watarase Keikoku Railway).
- Where can it be seen?
- The Watarase Keikoku Railway Arikoshizawa Bridge comes into view about three and a half minutes after Haramuko Station on a Mato-bound train, or about a minute after Tsudo Station on a Kiryu-bound train (Watarase Keikoku Railway).
- When was the Watarase Keikoku Railway Arikoshizawa Bridge registered?
- On November 2, 2009.
Basic Information
| Name | Watarase Keikoku Railway Arikoshizawa Bridge (わたらせ渓谷鐵道有越沢橋梁) |
|---|---|
| Location | Ashio-machi, Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2009/11/02 (Heisei 21) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Steel single-span girder bridge, length 14 metres, with abutments |
| Owner | Not listed in the national database (line operated by Watarase Keikoku Railway Co., Ltd.) |
| Public Access | Visible from the train |
References
- Watarase Keikoku Railway Arikoshizawa Bridge (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007848
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Watarase Keikoku Railway, in Japanese)
- https://www.watetsu.com/sightseeing/culture.php
- Pamphlet: Railway Heritage from the Train Window, map notes (Watarase Keikoku Railway, in Japanese)
- https://www.watetsu.com/assets/pdf/sightseeing/culture_yukei_des06.pdf
- History (Watarase Keikoku Railway, in Japanese)
- https://www.watetsu.com/company/history.php
Last verified: 2026.10.12
