Daiichi-Shirakawa bridge, Railway bridge in Minamiaso, Japan
Daiichi-Shirakawa Bridge is a railway bridge in Kumamoto Prefecture that crosses the Tano Gorge above the White River, sitting about 60 meters above the riverbed. A steel arch connects two tunnel openings on opposite sides of the gorge, carrying the tracks of the Minamiaso Railway.
The bridge was built in 1927 and for many years held the record as the highest railway crossing in Japan. After the 2016 earthquake caused serious damage, it was fully rebuilt and returned to service in 2023.
The red-painted steel arch is part of the Minamiaso Railway and has been recognized by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers as a notable structure. From nearby viewpoints, visitors see it as a vivid arc of color framing the entrance to two tunnels on either side of the gorge.
The bridge can only be crossed by train on the Minamiaso Railway, as there is no public footpath along the structure. Those who want to see it from the outside can look for viewpoints in the surrounding gorge area.
The bridge was built using a cantilevering method, where steel sections were extended outward from each side of the gorge until they met in the middle, without any support from below. This approach was uncommon in Japan in the 1920s and allowed construction over the deep valley floor without scaffolding.
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