British Trestles over the Upper Watarase
The Watarase Keikoku Railway First Matsukigawa Bridge (わたらせ渓谷鐵道第一松木川橋梁) is a steel three-span girder bridge built in 1914 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 3-span girder bridge 56 metres long, with abutments and piers, registration number 09-0178.
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.
According to Watarase Keikoku Railway, the line was completed to Ashio Honzan in August 1914. The Watarase Keikoku Railway First Matsukigawa Bridge spans the upper Watarase River (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Value as a Registered Cultural Property
The Watarase Keikoku Railway First Matsukigawa Bridge was registered as a structure that would not be easy to reproduce. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes its unusual piers: British wrought-iron trestles set on masonry bases carefully faced with stone up to the top.
What to Look For
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a single-track steel bridge of three plate girder spans, 56 metres long.
Watarase Keikoku Railway says the piers of the Watarase Keikoku Railway First Matsukigawa Bridge were reused from a British company where they had served more than a century ago, making it a rare survival in Japan.
Visiting
The Watarase Keikoku Railway First Matsukigawa Bridge comes into view about two minutes after Ashio Station on a Mato-bound train, or about a minute after Mato 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 First Matsukigawa Bridge
- [ Nikko Toshogu Shrine & Kegon Falls Day Trip ]
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1914 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is it built?
- A steel 3-span girder bridge 56 metres long, with abutments and piers (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is special about the piers?
- British wrought-iron trestles on stone bases (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where can it be seen?
- The Watarase Keikoku Railway First Matsukigawa Bridge comes into view about two minutes after Ashio Station on a Mato-bound train, or about a minute after Mato Station on a Kiryu-bound train (Watarase Keikoku Railway).
- When was the Watarase Keikoku Railway First Matsukigawa Bridge registered?
- On November 2, 2009.
Basic Information
| Name | Watarase Keikoku Railway First Matsukigawa Bridge (わたらせ渓谷鐵道第一松木川橋梁) |
|---|---|
| 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 3-span girder bridge, length 56 metres, with abutments and piers |
| 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 First Matsukigawa Bridge (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007839
- 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_des07.pdf
- History (Watarase Keikoku Railway, in Japanese)
- https://www.watetsu.com/company/history.php
Last verified: 2026.10.12
