This is a pedestrian bridge spanning Hachiman-bori promnade, which runs at the east end of the grounds of Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine. This was originally the first iron bridge in Japan, named the Danjo-bashi, which was built in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, in 1878. Based on the Great Kanto Earthquake Reconstruction Plan, the original bridge was relocated to the current location in 1929, and was renamed the Hachiman-bashi. Hachiman-bori promenade, which is spanned with the Hachiman-bashi now, used to be a canal where many timber carriers came and went. This is a unique iron bridge of the early stages, as it is made up of a combination of carbon-rich cast iron for the arches and low-carbon wrought iron for other parts. This bridge shows the transition of the material of iron bridges from cast iron to steel. Since there are not many iron bridges with such an old structure left in the world, this is designated as an important cultural property in Japan. Being 15.8 meters long and 2 meters wide, this was originally designed just for pedestrians and one-horse carriages before the invention of a car with petrol engine.
Licensed tour guide, travel consultant,
Masahisa Takaki.
全国通訳案内士 高木聖久。
