The famous bridge Nihonbashi will celebrate its 100th anniversary in April next year (2011). Prior to this, repair work began in late July of this year (2010), immediately after the Nihonbashi Washing event, and will end on November 19, about three months later.
It seems that such a full-scale repair work, including the side of the bridge, is the first time since it was bridged in April 1911. It's a rejuvenation at the age of 99.
This repair work was carried out by the Tokyo National Highway Office of the Kanto Regional Development Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
Once the granite laid on the road surface is removed, etc.
We have been working on measures to prevent water leakage around the paving stones and repair work on degraded or damaged paving stones.
The photo on the left shows repair work on the side of the bridge (upstream side).
At the beginning of last month (October), the “Nihonbashi 100-year mining site tour with Inada Mikageishi” sponsored by “Monthly Nihonbashi” was held. He seems to have been well received, and he is planning the second one.
In the last process of Hashigami, on the sidewalk on the upstream side (Mitsukoshi side), a new damaged stone block was compensated.
We performed the work of arranging the removed stone blocks one by one.
The photo on the right shows the "Inada Mikageishi" block (in a plastic bag one by one) with the restored sidewalk and the address of the original location.
During the paving stone construction on the sidewalk of the bridge, we decided to walk around the center of Nihonbashi.
Thanks to that, you can see the square depression in which the "road mark" is embedded in the center of the roadway.
Then, when I looked up at the highway from the center of the bridge, I was able to see the aerial monuments installed between the left and right highways almost directly below.
The repair work will be completed soon.
In parallel with the construction, the Nihonbashi Cleaning Project was launched on November 1 (Monday) by Kercher Japan and the famous bridge Nihonbashi Preservation Society.
In addition, Kercher has been involved in the Statue of Liberty and the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima.
It seems that he has been working on cleaning famous buildings and cultural properties around the world.
It is true that the plate of "Japan Road Mark" returns to the center of the bridge road. It seems that there will be an announcement of the rejuvenated famous bridge "Nihonbashi" within 2010, but I am looking forward to it.
Then, in April 2011, when the stone-built Nihonbashi “100 Years of Bridge” will be celebrated.
It seems that stakeholders such as the Nabashi "Nihonbashi" Preservation Society (Chairman, Taneo Nakamura, Special Advisor to Mitsukoshi) are considering a commemorative event.
I'm looking forward to this too.
(The photo above was taken in December last year.)
[Reference] About Nihonbashi
As you know, Nihonbashi was built in 1603 (Keicho 8), when Ieyasu Tokugawa's Edo shogunate began. The following year was established as the starting point for five highways (Note).
It has been an important bridge since the Edo period as a Gokogi bridge with giboshi attached to the head of the balustrade of the bridge.
(Note) Five Kaido: Tokaido, Nikko Kaido (Nikko Dochu), Oshu Kaido (Oshu Dochu), Nakasendo, Koshu Kaido (Koshu Dochu)
The area around Nihonbashi was the bustling economic and cultural center of Edo, as seen on "Kyodai Shoran" (displayed at the Mitsukoshi-ma Station concourse on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line) such as the Uogawa Bank and Mitsui Echigoya (the predecessor of Mitsukoshi).
After that, it was burned down by fire, and it was rebuilt repeatedly, and in April 1911, it is said that it will be the 20th generation, but the current stone double arch bridge was built.
Designed by Shinichi Yonemoto (Shinnichi Yonemoto) and design by Yorinaka Tsumaki.
The kanji of the main pillar and the characters of the hiragana were written by Yoshinobu, the last 15th general of Tokugawa.
And since then, he has survived the Great Kanto Earthquake and air raids, and has continued to this day.
As you know, Nihonbashi today is an important cultural property of the country (designated in 1999), and as the starting point of the national highway, the "Japan Road Mark" is installed in the center of the bridge roadway.
Currently, there are seven national highways starting from Nihonbashi.
1 National Route 1 (Tokaido)
2 National Route 4 (Tohoku Expressway)
3 National Route 6 (Joban Expressway)
4 National Route 14 (Keiyo Road/Chiba Kaido)
5 National Route 15 (Daiichi Keihin)
