HOKKAIDO - An abandoned concrete arch bridge deep in the forests of Kamishihoro in Hokkaido's Tokachi region is slowly being reclaimed by nature, its exposed reinforcing bars and weeds marking the passage of time.
The Taushubetsu River Bridge, often called the "phantom bridge," disappears beneath the surface of a dam lake from around June to October as water levels rise, then reappears as they fall. Its deterioration has advanced so far that the day may not be distant when its line of connected arches can no longer be seen.
The bridge was completed in 1937 with the opening of the former Japanese National Railways Shihoro Line. It is 130 meters long, about 10 meters high and made of concrete, with 11 arches forming its distinctive landscape. It ended its original role in 1955, but was selected as a Hokkaido Heritage site in 2001 and later became widely known after appearing on a JR Group promotional poster.
"I want to keep photographing it until the bridge collapses," said Ryoji Iwasaki, a 47-year-old photographer from Otofuke who has been taking pictures of the bridge since 2005. "The stones and gravel used in the bridge came from the local area. The appeal is that those stones and gravel became a bridge, and over time are returning to nature again."
Natural disasters have also contributed to the damage. Part of a side wall collapsed during the 2003 Tokachi-oki earthquake, and another section fell after an earthquake in April 2026. Ironically, each new stage of deterioration has drawn more visitors eager to see the bridge before it disappears, with tourists arriving from early morning. Mitsuru Kawada, 66, representative director of the Higashi Taisetsu Nature Guide Center, an NPO that operates tours, said the bridge's environment has changed significantly over the past decade because of rising temperatures, increased rainfall and other factors.
Reports of bear sightings have also increased in recent years, prompting the local tourism association and others to urge caution. Naoki Kinoshita, 55, who visited with his wife from Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, said, "I didn't know there was a place like this in Japan. I was moved by the magnificent scenery."
The Taushubetsu River Bridge continues to captivate visitors even after losing its original purpose. Finding beauty precisely in something that is falling apart may reflect a distinctly Japanese sensibility and aesthetic.
Source: 産経ニュース
