Yamasen Railway Bridge was added to Your Favorites!
Shikotsu-Tōya NP., Hokkaido
Claim this place to tell your story your way.
Built in 1899 as the First Sorachi River Bridge, this 61-m British truss was reused at Lake Shikotsu in the 1920s. Today it is Hokkaido’s oldest surviving steel bridge still in use.
During a 1916 flood, one end of the bridge dropped into the Sorachi River. Crews jacked it back into place, and the railway reopened within 15 days—long before the span found its way to Shikotsu.
Local histories recall a grim warning on Yamasen passenger tickets: “No guarantee of human life.” On slippery climbs, riders sometimes got out to help push the little steam train uphill.
The freight railway began carrying ordinary passengers in 1922. By 1947, it was also taking children from the Usakumai school branch to class—a train serving both visitors and everyday local life.
When deterioration led to demolition being considered, local preservation voices rallied for the bridge. Its 1995–97 restoration reused 46% of the original steel and brought a retired riveter back to recreate the old joints.
The Yamasen railway that crossed here served Oji Paper’s power works and timber supply. By 1937, it was also hauling 72,000 tonnes of gold ore from Chitose Mine in a single year.
At the lakeside terminus, tracks formed a triangle called a delta line so steam locomotives could turn around. The bridge belonged to this practical little railway layout, not just a route across the river.
