Megane Bashi

Megane Bashi

Megane-bashi ( 眼鏡 橋 ), or the Ocular Bridge, is a bridge over the Nakashima River in Nagasaki , Japan . Its name comes from the "glasses" formed by the two arches of the bridge and their reflection in the water.

Megane-bashi was built in 1634 by the monk Mokusu (Mojia), the second rector of the Buddhist monastery Kofukuji in Nagasaki. It is considered the oldest stone arch bridge in Japan. The bridge is 22 meters long and 3.65 meters wide. The height above the river is 5.46 meters. During the flood of 1648, the bridge was partially destroyed, but was soon restored.

In 1873, Megane-basi lost the ramp and stairs on the left bank, necessary for rickshaw movement and built during the Edo period . Since 1948, the bridge has become exclusively pedestrian. Since 1960, Megane-bashi has been the cultural value of Japan.

The July 23, 1982 flood washed away six of the ten stone bridges across the Nakashima River. Megane-basi was badly damaged, but almost all of the original stones were discovered and the bridge was restored to its original form. On both sides of the structure, in order to avoid damage due to possible floods in the future, underground culverts were installed that formed a bypass channel.

There is a similar, but larger “ocular bridge” in Isahaya Park.