Abandoned Track Tunnels:
Sannomiya gorge, Kobayashi (Miyazaki Prefecture)
Through a series of tunnels to experience a magnificent view
Kyushu has many ancient bridges. Traveling around Oita, Kumamoto and Miyazaki Prefectures to visit stone bridges built during the Edo Period, you may find a surprising number of interesting bridges built as late as half a century ago. The Hashimitsu Bridge at Sannomiya gorge in Kobayashi City, Miyazaki Prefecture, is reinforced with bamboo because it was built during the war when steel was hard to procure.
Spanning the river at a height of 22 meters above the water surface it is a sight to behold. But experiencing the view isn’t easy. Running through Sannomiya gorge is what remains of the train tracks from a trolley line constructed to transport timber, winding its way through a succession of eleven tunnels dug by hand. Such scary tunnels may be found throughout Japan, but in this case, since the tunnels lead to a cave, one tends to hesitate a little. Not me! Knowing that Hashimitsu Bridge lay beyond, I shut my eyes tight and ran right through the tunnels to the bridge. The trip back took more courage.
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Abandoned Track Tunnels:
Sannomiya gorge, Kobayashi (Miyazaki Prefecture)
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