Tokyo's oldest stone bridge to reopen in April

Feb 03, 2021 | News On Japan

Feb 03, 2021 (Kyodok) - Tokyo's oldest remaining stone bridge from the late 1800s, which was damaged during a deadly earthquake of March 2011 that devastated Japan's northeastern region, has been restored to its double-arched glory and will reopen in April, officials said Tuesday.

Pedestrians will be able to cross the historical Tokiwa Bridge, which links the capital's Chiyoda and Chuo wards over the Nihonbashi River, from mid-April following the completion of work in the surrounding area, Chiyoda Ward's roads and parks division said.

Workers had been carefully restoring the bridge, originally built in 1877, after it was dismantled following the catastrophic earthquake due to fears it would collapse.

The bridge, which was originally built with wood before the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603, was rebuilt after the Meiji Restoration of 1868 using stones from Edo Castle.

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