Official

The Sumida River, which flows from the upstream, branches off from the main stream at Tsukuda and Ishikawajima in the lower reaches, and spans the branch. At the foot of Aioi Bridge, there is a sign that says "Sumida River", so when I first came here, I understood that this water area was the Sumida River.

However, at the 6th Chuo-ku Tourism Test in 2014, which I took for the first time, such a problem was asked, yeah? I thought it was.

●If you leave Tsukishima Station and walk along Kiyosumi-dori toward Ishikawajima Park, you will see the bridge that was replaced in March 2000. Which of the following is the name of this bridge over the Harumi Canal?
　　　　A. Asashio Ohashi
　　　　B. Chuo-ohashi Bridge
　　　　C. Aioi Bridge
　　　　D. Harumi Bridge

If you read it from the context, you can see that the answer is "U. Aioi Bridge", but I thought that Aioi Bridge was a bridge over the Sumida River, so I thought it was an unsatisfactory problem. .

So, if you look at some of the information boards on the site ...

At the site, there seems to be a majority comment saying "Bridge over the river of the Sumida River".

Then, how is it written in the official text of the Chuo-ku Tourism Test, "Chuo-ku Monoshiri Encyclopedia", the most important thing? 。 Most of the bridges on the Sumida River are explained in detail, so Aioi Bridge should also be written ...

Oh? 。 Maybe there is no explanation. I think it's a good bridge with a long history.

If you take a closer look, "Harumi Canal" is written on the map of the walking course page that goes around the Tsukuda area. In addition, the map of "Guide Map by Chuo-ku Area Tsukuda / Tsukishima" issued by the Chuo-ku Tourism Association also lists the water area around this area as "Harumi Canal", so it seems that Aioi Bridge is "A bridge over the Harumi Canal". I thought Aioi Bridge was a bridge of the Sumida River ...

"Nakanoshima" seen from the Tsukuda side through this water area.

I'm not convinced, so I asked Mr. Google. The Wikipedia page searched for "Harumi Canal" is available.

"In a broad sense, it refers to the section that separates from the Sumida River and pours into Tokyo Bay at the border between Tsukuda, Chuo-ku, Tokyo and Echinakajima, Koto-ku. It is also called the Harumi Canal from Harumi, which is also in the name of the bridge. From this canal, the Toyosu Canal and the Asashio Canal flow separately. In administrative terms, 0.9 km, which branches off from the main stream of the Sumida River, is the Sumida River school river. Some municipalities use the Harumi Canal from the downstream of the Sumida River School River to the estuary, while others call the Harumi Canal from the downstream of the Sumida River School River to the downstream of Harumi Bridge, and from the upstream of Harumi Ohashi to the mouth of the mouth of the Harumi Toyosu area Some municipalities. 」

It's written.

Somehow ... very ambiguous ...

Looking at the other things in various ways ... It seems that the Aioi Bridge is built on the Sumida River school river, the Sumida River, the Harumi Canal, and the Harumi Canal.

●Bridges in HP-ku, Chuo-ku
　　　　　　　　　　　　　→Bridge of Sumida River

●wikipedia Sumidagawa Bridges
　　　　　　　　　　　　　→Bridge of Sumida River

●Pamphlets available at the Kachidoki Bridge Museum
　　　　　　　　　　　　　→Bridge of Sumida River

●History of the Sumida River seen from the Bridge Masao Iida
　　　　　　　　　　　　Bungeisha Co., Ltd. (June 2002)
　→On the map, the bridge over the Harumi Canal is used.

●Problems of the 2nd Chuo-ku Tourism Certification
　　One of the 18 Views of Chuo-ku Ohako, which was established to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the constituency of Chuo-ku, is Sumida River 8 Bridge. Then, which of the following is not the 8 bridges of the Sumida River.
　　　　A. Shinohashi
　　　　B. Chuo-ohashi Bridge
　　　　C. Sumida River Ohashi
　　　　D. Aioi Bridge

　　The correct answer is “E. Aioi Bridge”
　　　　　　　　　　→It is not a bridge of the Sumida River

I think Aioi Bridge may be mixed with the Sumida River bridge as a "bridge over the Sumida River", but as a tourism business in Chuo-ku, it seems that this is not the case ... As a Sumida River fan, I feel a little sad.

In the issue of the Chuo-ku Tourism Certification, which was introduced at the beginning, Aioi Bridge is regarded as "a bridge that was replaced in March 2000". In fact, this bridge year has become one of the mysteries about Aioi Bridge that I think.

This is because when you go to the site, the plate attached to this bridge is engraved as "completed in March 1999".

In addition, there is an explanatory version that explains, "It was replaced in 1999", while there is an explanation that "the whole line was opened on December 19, 2000".

I thought that the reason why these differences occurred was due to differences in judgment criteria, such as what was the "bridge bridge year". However, if the whole line was opened in 1998, I think it would be normal to be completed before that ... something is different ...

How many years is the correct bridge year of this bridge?

I'm not convinced, so I asked Mr. Google. The Wikipedia page searched for "Aioi Bridge" can be found on the page.

　It was replaced in December 1998.
　It was partially opened in December 1998.
　All copies were issued in August 1999.
Yeah,

I couldn't understand the translation. I looked into other things, and found that

●Links from bridges in HP-ku, Chuo-ku
　　　　　　→Bridge in March 2000

●Pamphlets available at the Kachidoki Bridge Museum
　　　　　　→The current bridge was built in 2000.

●History of the Sumida River seen from the Bridge Masao Iida
　　　　　　　　　　　　Bungeisha Co., Ltd. (June 2002)
　　　　　　　　→Revised in 1999

●Bridge of Sumida River
　　　　Tokyo Konjaku Town Aruki Study Group (11, 2013)
　　　　　　　　→Completed in 1998

Somehow ... I don't know at all.

In my mood, I would like to think from the plate attached to the current bridge "completed in March 1999" to "replaced to the current bridge in March 1999". ... I feel like someone to tell me.

There is a plate at the place we climbed from Nakanoshima.

Bridges named Aioi Bridge are located all over the country, and the majority of the names are derived from the meaning of Aioi no Matsu.

"Aioi no Matsu" is a pine where Akamatsu and Kuromatsu grow from the same root, and it is used to mean "common to live a long life with married couples" or "two friends line up". Or

So what about Aioi Bridge over this "Sumida River"? 。

If you look at the history of this bridge, you can see that

(1). In 1903, it was built as a wooden bridge connecting the Echinakajima area and the Tsukuda area. In the meantime, the bridge was relayed at Nakanoshima.

(2). In 1919, it was remodeled for widening. Nakanoshima was the relay point, the Ohashi on the Tsukuda side was a wooden truss bridge, and the Kobashi on the Echinakajima side was a wooden girder bridge. In July 1923, a streetcar crossed to Tsukishima, but two months later, it was burned down by the Great Kanto Earthquake.

(3). In 1926, the Gerber girder bridge was bridged as the first bridge among the six bridges of the Sumida River, designed by the Reconstruction Bureau after the Earthquake. With Nakanoshima as the relay point, Aioi Ohashi is completed on the Tsukuda side and Aioi Kobashi is completed on the Echinakajima side.

(4). Kobashi was reclaimed in 1980, and Nakanoshima was connected by land to Echinakajima side. Year 11 (1999) due to the aging conspicuous? It was changed to the current truss bridge.

Therefore, the origin of the name of Aioi Bridge is that "the two long and short bridges relayed by Nakanoshima are regarded as auspicious" Aioi no Matsu "."

Autumn in Nakanoshima

However, on the other hand, there is also a theory that "Aioi Bridge was named as a bridge relative to Eitai Bridge".

So I checked it in several books.

　①Bridge in Tokyo - History of Living Edo
　　　　Teiji Ishikawa Newcomer Traffic Company (June 1977)

　②Cultural Properties of Chuo-ku (3) Bridges
　　　　Chuo-ku Board of Education (8, 1977)

　③Men's Record of Sumida River to Bridge
　　　　Yutaka Shirai Tokyodo Publishing (September 1993)

　④History of the Sumida River seen from the bridge
　　　　Masao Iida, Bungeisha Co., Ltd. (June 2002)

　⑤Bridge of Sumida River
　　　　Tokyo Konjaku Town Aruki Study Group (11, 2013)

Consequently ...
　　　"Aioi no Matsu" faction ...②③⑤
　　　"Eitai Bridge's Compation" faction ...①④
　　　　　(It is stated that there are two theories in 5.)

That's why I don't give up either theory as origin.

The theory of "Relationship of Eitai Bridge" seems to be somewhat boring, but if you imagine the time of the foundation in Meiji 36 (1903), I think it would be quite good . The Sumida River at that time did not have a bridge as it is now, and the landmark seen from Aioi Bridge was Eitai Bridge, which was a truss bridge at that time. In the field of bridges, the historic Eitai Bridge was also respected at that time, so if you think that it is `` Aioi Bridge that lives long with Eitai Bridge that continues for a long time '', I think it is a wonderful theory for those who like bridges. .

Eitai Bridge seen from Aioi Bridge

After the Great Kanto Earthquake, Aioi Bridge was built as the first bridge in the Sumida River earthquake reconstruction project. When I looked for the materials at that time, the completion date was listed. November 22, 1926. Yes, Aioi Ohashi and Kobashi were completed on "Good Couple's Day".

　●Described in the civil engineering and construction work report
　　　　Download available → Issued in February 1927
　　※In addition, in the 4 books I mentioned earlier
　　　　　Description that the opening ceremony was held on this day

It seems in recent years that November 22 was enacted as a good couple's day, but if it was just a word match, people at that time would have been doing it. It may not have set the completion date with the consciousness of "Aioi no Matsu", but since the completion of Aioi Bridge, which started the long-cherished wish for the reconstruction of the Sumida River, I think it is a wonderful story. is.

This year is 2019. There are many people who choose the first couple's day of Reiwa and get married and start a new start. There was a person around me who got married on November 11, 2019. Congratulations.

I think this Aioi Bridge is a very good bridge, but how about mixing it with the bridge of the Sumida River?