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The identity of the emblem of the outer moat bridge
Hello. I'm Hanes, an active correspondent.
The other day, when I went around the bridge in the ward, I was fascinated by the old outer moat bridge (railway bridge) seen from Ryukan Sakura Bridge.
This bridge is a reinforced concrete arch bridge between Tokyo Station and Kanda Station on the JR Chuo Main Line.
When I looked at the bridge from corner to corner and thought about its history, I realized that there was a keystone in the center of the bridge.
I was able to see something like a coat of arms even in a distance, so when I zoom it with a camera and look at it, it is engraved (although it is not clear because the focus is small) "Year Seven Shodai".
It seems to be the year of construction of the bridge.
In addition, you can see the emblem behind the year.
2018 article "[Excursion Series Vol. 6] Searching for the oldest existing iron bridge in Tokyo...I remembered the chrysanthemum emblem applied to the old Dansho Bridge introduced in ", but if you look closely, it's a little different....。
When I was worried and looked it up, it turned out that it was the emblem of the Ministry of Railways in the shape of a locomotive wheel!
You can feel the history of the bridge itself, as well as one keystone.
(In general, it is said to be the "crest of the Ministry of Railways", but since the Ministry of Railways was established in 1920, it may be a coat of arms applied during the era of the predecessor of the Cabinet Office Railway. )
There are many bridges in Chuo-ku, but those with such emblems are very rare.
When using Ryukan Sakura Bridge, be sure to pay attention to the emblem when participating in a cruise on the Nihonbashi River or Kanda River!
Reference website
Japan Concrete Engineering Association "Concrete in Japan's 100 Years Digital Archives Concrete in Living" Outer Moat Bridge (viewed on June 15, 2022)
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism “Nihonbashi River, a town viewed from the water surface” (viewed on June 15, 2022)
The Civil Engineering Library of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSPS) "Tokyo Metropolitan Overpass Tokyo Manseibashi Bridge Construction Bulletin", No. 16 Outer Horibashi No. 16 (viewed on June 15, 2022)