Naoetsu Bridge, Transportation bridge in Joetsu, Japan

The Naoetsu Bridge crosses the Sekigawa River with a modern steel construction that links different neighborhoods of Joetsu. The structure serves as a key passage for both vehicles and pedestrians moving between residential and commercial areas of the city.

A bridge called Oge no Hashi stood at the Sekigawa river mouth from ancient times. In 1549 Nagao Kagetora (Uesugi Kenshin) rebuilt the ruined crossing and levied a toll. When Matsudaira Tadatane abandoned Fukushima Castle for Takada Castle in 1614, the bridge was discarded and no crossing was allowed until 1871, when a new bridge was built near the upper ferry and named Naoetsu Bridge. The present steel bridge dates from November 1988.

The bridge incorporates design elements from the tale of Anju and Zushiomaru, characters from Mori Ogai's novel Sansho Dayu, with memorial structures nearby.

The bridge carries Niigata Prefectural Route 488 between Kawaramachi and Chuo 1-chome, with 2.5-meter sidewalks on both sides. The JR Shinetsu Main Line's Arakawa bridge crossing stands just upstream, and the Arakawa Bridge and the Sekigawa river mouth lie downstream.

This bridge is counted among Japan's hundred most celebrated bridges and is recognized by bridge enthusiasts. Its modern design contrasts with the long history of the location.