|
Date : between 1940 and 1970
| Kachidoki Ohashi
Item 3 on 11
Place(s)
Ouvrages d'art (Bridge)
Area related
Tokyo (Japon)
| |  | |
| Description |  |
|
The Kachidoki Ohashi or Kachidoki Bridge was constructed in 1940 for the commemoration of the victory of the Japanese army at Lushun during the Russo-Japanese War. This bridge is the only drawbridge on the Sumida, and has not been raised since 1970.
Kachidoki Bridge last lifted its double spans on November 29, 1970 but Tokyo residents still have fond memories of the days when it opened daily to let the freighters up the Sumida River. Prior to the building of the modern road system these boats were the lifeblood of the city. After the road construction took off during the boom years, trucks became a more convenient way to transport goods and the warehouses and docks that once lined up and down the Sumida River declined and disappeared.
There are 27 bridges that cross the Sumida River in Tokyo and Kachidoki Bridge is the last bridge to cross it before it reaches Tokyo Bay. This 246 meter long and 22 meter wide bridge was opened in 1940 and it was dedicated in celebration of the Japanese Army's victory at battle of Lushun during the Russo-Japanese War. Kachidoki (勝ち鬨) means a shout or cry of victory.
Kachidoki Bridge Motor
The bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge. This means both sides lifted up and the spans are counterweighted so that each span easily rotated up. Normally, it was opened by electric motors and one of these is on display in the museum. With the electric motors, it took 70 seconds to open or close the 900 ton spans (and 1,100 ton counterweights) up to the full 70 degrees.
From its opening until around 1953, it opened 5 times daily for 20 minutes at a time to let ships pass through. In 1964, it opened only 100 times in the entire year and the last opening for ship traffic occurred in 1967. It was opened once a year until 1970. While there have been a number of recent efforts to open the spans once again for old times sake, they have all failed due to cost and because the road is too busy.
| Item(s) related | |
|
