A Japanese-Made Cooper Truss
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Second Watarase River Bridge (わたらせ渓谷鐵道第二渡良瀬川橋梁) is a steel two-span truss 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 2-span truss bridge 95 metres long, with abutments and a pier, registration number 09-0188.
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 Second Watarase River Bridge crosses the Watarase River about 1,400 metres south-west of the Arikoshizawa Bridge (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Value as a Registered Cultural Property
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Second Watarase River Bridge was registered as a structure that would not be easy to reproduce. The Agency for Cultural Affairs values it as a 150-foot Cooper-type truss with eyebar bottom chords and pin joints, rare as a Cooper truss known to have been made in Japan.
What to Look For
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a single-track steel bridge of two spans, 95 metres long.
Watarase Keikoku Railway describes the Watarase Keikoku Railway Second Watarase River Bridge as a truss of slender members joined in triangles across the Watarase, the longest bridge built for the Ashio Railway; its pamphlet adds that its form shows the arrival of American bridge engineering and its later development in Japan.
Visiting
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Second Watarase River Bridge comes into view about a minute and a half after Haramuko Station on a Mato-bound train, or about three minutes 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 Second Watarase River 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 2-span truss bridge 95 metres long, with abutments and a pier (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Why is it important?
- It is a rare Cooper-type truss known to have been made in Japan (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where can it be seen?
- The Watarase Keikoku Railway Second Watarase River Bridge comes into view about a minute and a half after Haramuko Station on a Mato-bound train, or about three minutes after Tsudo Station on a Kiryu-bound train (Watarase Keikoku Railway).
- When was the Watarase Keikoku Railway Second Watarase River Bridge registered?
- On November 2, 2009.
Basic Information
| Name | Watarase Keikoku Railway Second Watarase River Bridge (わたらせ渓谷鐵道第二渡良瀬川橋梁) |
|---|---|
| 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 2-span truss bridge, length 95 metres, with abutments and pier |
| 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 Second Watarase River Bridge (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007849
- 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_des05.pdf
- History (Watarase Keikoku Railway, in Japanese)
- https://www.watetsu.com/company/history.php
Last verified: 2026.10.12
