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Special feature on underwater bridges in Mie Prefecture: An unexplored region that is surprisingly nearby? Enjoy the spectacular underwater bridge! We bring you the "coolness" to help you spend this hot summer comfortably! [Part 2]

掲載日:2021.10.01

Do you know what a submersible bridge is? In Mie Prefecture, it is also called a sunken bridge, a submerged bridge, or a submerged bridge. In a previous article, I introduced ``Ashikoshi of the Asaaki River'', and while doing some research, I learned about its charm, and I was very interested in it myself, so I went exploring all over the place! (lol)

Articlecreation:MAMMY #MieTravelCamera Club
A monk and a photographer, a monk photographer wearing two sandals

Lives in SuzukaCity Photography experience:13 years devoted toNikon
In this interview, the recently purchasedKEENsandals were used!(lol)
 
Rain is forecast to continue these days, but it's still hot when the sun comes out. (sweat) Thank you for waiting! Continuing with our special feature on Mie Prefecture's underwater bridges that will blow away the heat, we'd like to introduce some underwater bridges that we haven't been able to introduce yet. If you're wondering, "I haven't seen the first part..." or "What is a submersible bridge?", please check out the first part as well.
 

I had driven along the road where I could see this bridge many times, but I had never noticed its existence until now...

As I walked through the bushes, I saw it. "...It's so thin! (lol)" It was barely wide enough for one person to pass through, and it shook quite a bit when I walked on it.

It's a flowing bridge type that is firmly connected with wires. If a bridge girder of this size were to wash away, it would be possible to repair it by one person.

The river is shallow, but it is full of large stones, making it difficult to walk. There was a lot of greenery around, and the occasional cool breeze felt good.


Hako Nagarebashi (TsuCity)

When you get off the road, you will go through a tunnel of bushes like this.

This is a flowing bridge type, but the bridge girder is wider than the previous bridge. Wooden bridge girders do shake after all. That's more fun for me, though. (lol)

The bridge is not visible from the road because it is surrounded by so much greenery. It may be difficult to find, but you'll be able to take pictures of nature without any artificial objects. The river on this side was also shallow and full of large stones.

Here is one of the most exciting photos from this interview! There is a railway bridge behind Nagare Bridge, so I thought I might not be able to cross it, but it came at just the right time. I'm thinking of coming back to take pictures from a different angle next time.


Okutsu Nagarebashi (TsuCity)

The river flow is calm in this direction, and the water is particularly clear. The greenery that fills your field of vision is irresistible.

It may be a regional difference, but unlike last time, all the bridge girders up to this point are made of wood. Perhaps it's because the Misugi area is a thriving forestry industry.

The flow is so calm that at first glance it looks like a pond. I don't have one, but if you use a filter when taking pictures, you can enjoy the reflections, and conversely, if you suppress the reflections, you can see the riverbed clearly, which is a lot of fun.

The water near the floating bridge was about knee deep, and there was a lot of sand upstream, making it easy to walk. On the other hand, there were many stones with moss on the downstream side, and I almost slipped several times. If I was empty-handed, it might feel good to fall, but since I had my precious camera with me, I was quite nervous. (lol)


Hasu River Forest Sunken Bridge (MatsusakaCity)

This is the first concrete bridge girder in a while. The length of the bridge is also short, and it seems that there are stone walls piled up instead of bridge pillars.

Although there are other places, we will also introduce a signboard installed near the bridge. We really must not underestimate the threats not only to rivers but also to nature. Please carefully check this information and knowledge, and if you feel even the slightest change or danger, please evacuate to a safe place immediately.

Approach from the road to the bridge. Perhaps the answer from the other side would have been more accurate.

The water is beautiful, but the current is fast and the water seems to be deep, so I limited myself to taking photos from Nakasu.


Kushida River Kahada Sunken Bridge (MatsusakaCity)

This side looks down from National Route 166. The moment I saw it, I couldn't help but cry out at how beautiful the river was. (laughs) The bushes in front of me were so thick that I couldn't seem to get down, so I decided to cross to the other side. On the left side of the bridge are the remains of the previous bridge.

This side was easy to pass, although the grass was overgrown with a fair amount of traffic.

Look at this transparency! It's really beautiful.

The area under the bridge is deeper, and the beautiful blue-green color becomes darker the deeper you go.


Nanakaichi Sunken Bridge (MatsusakaCity)

This photo was taken from a nearby bridge, but the bridge girders are broken... (Tears) Even though the bridge girders are this high, when the water rises, they end up submerged and washed away...

I thought the approach would be rough because the bridge was broken, but it wasn't that bad.

There seems to be quite a bit of depth here as well, and the blue-green color is deep. It would have been nice to be able to go to the sandy area right next to it, but it didn't seem like it would be easy.


Awano Sunken Bridge (MatsusakaCity)

The water is not too deep, the flow is calm, the river is wide, and the view from here is spectacular.

This bridge was also written as ``Hiramatsu Sunken Bridge''. It seems to be still in use today, and locals were crossing it in light trucks.

There is a sandy area near the bridge that looks like it would be a good place to play, but I couldn't find the approach... (tears)


Akaoke Sunken Bridge (MatsusakaCity)

 

I also took this photo from the bridge that is right next to it, but this was the first time I encountered people playing! (lol)

Young children were jumping in and playing from the tall bridge girder. Later, I looked in from the same spot and saw that it would take a long time for the timid monk to jump in. Even further upstream, small children were playing with their mothers. If you look closely, you can see that the sharp part on the upstream side of the bridge girder has been reinforced with something like an iron plate.

We were able to get off safely right next to the bridge. As I took pictures of the water up to my knees, I thought that playing in the river was enough for my monk. (lol)


↓↓ There is more to come, so please go to the next page! ↓↓

Miyamae Sunken Bridge (MatsusakaCity)

This time I found a guide sign to the river for the first time! (lol) The area was covered in bushes and it was difficult to find from a distance, so this signboard saved my life.

Is there a power plant behind the bridge? , and entry was prohibited. Combined with the stairs just after crossing the bridge and the river tunnel, it was a spot with a different atmosphere, almost like a ruin.

It was easy to get down to the river from anywhere, and although the water was deep upstream, it was shallow downstream, so it looked like it would be fun to play.


Arimano Sunken Bridge (MatsusakaCity)

The scenery seen from the top of the bridge. You can see the bridge in the background, but you can't help but notice the width and beauty of the river in the foreground! (lol)

This approach may have been the toughest so far. It wasn't that far, but there was a lot of bamboo, so I had to push through it.

The bridge here is quite low, so even a slight rise in water would likely cause it to sink. The other side was also thick with bamboo, so I gave up crossing to save time. (lol)

Although it was in the shade, there was a red bridge that definitely stood out, so I wanted to take a better photo. (Tears) Hanachiro was introduced here in the previous article. The photos taken by Hanachiro were so wonderful!


Fukano Sunken Bridge (MatsusakaCity)

I was surprised at the blue that I saw when I looked down from the road! When the weather is nice, the light shines in and it looks even more beautiful.

The foundations of the previous bridge remained next to the bridge. The bridge was low and it was easy to get off on the other side.

A composition looking upstream from the bridge is good because there are no artificial objects in it. If possible, I would have liked to include the sunken bridge in the photo, but I had to walk through a rocky area to get there, so I'll leave it for another time. (lol)


Shimozue Sunken Bridge (MatsusakaCity)

You can't see anything from the road, and the first thing that caught my eye was this sign. It's probably broken... (tears)

This is how the grass is growing. After all, if people don't pass by, it will become deserted.

During this interview, I also saw a dragonfly with black wings. When I looked into it later, I found out that its official name is "Haguro Dragonfly," and it seems to be an auspicious dragonfly that is also called "God's Messenger" or "God Dragonfly." Males have emerald blue bodies, while females have black bodies. Unlike ordinary dragonflies, it was flying around.

Now, as for the bridge, it was broken... (Tears) The river you can see in the back is as beautiful as any other. There's a nice bridge built nearby, so I wonder if this sunken bridge will ever be restored... (tears)


Miozono Sunken Bridge (Taki District)

This one seems to be used regularly and the approach was beautiful. It's exciting because the front looks like a tunnel of trees.

The river is wide and the bridge is long. It's easy to get down to the river from the front left. Reflective poles were installed for safety reasons.

This was the view from the opposite shore. The upstream side of the bridge girder (photo right) had a pointed shape to reduce the stress on the bridge during times of high water.

I saw many anglers with long rods in the Kushida River, where they could catch sweetfish and amago. Fishing in such a beautiful river and at this location must be pleasant.


summary

 

How was it. Continuing from the first part, I hope you enjoyed the second part, which features a special feature on the submersible bridge.
As mentioned in the first part, there are various names such as submersible bridge, submersible bridge, sinking bridge, and flow bridge, but as the name suggests, it is a bridge that sinks under water and becomes impossible to cross when the water rises. However, construction and repair costs are kept low, making it a residential road. In recent years, the significance of its existence may have diminished due to the construction of large bridges that will not be washed away, but I sincerely hope that this emotional landscape left by our ancestors will remain for future generations. is. Thank you for reading until the end.

 
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