Horohira Bridge (幌平橋) is one of the bridges over the Toyohira River. It is located near Nakajima Park in Sapporo City, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan.
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| Horohira Bridge |
Horohira Bridge Details
Winter
In 1927, Kawai Saiichiro, a Hokkaido legislator from Ebetsu, privately funded the construction of a wooden bridge measuring 159 meters in length and 5 meters in width. This bridge, named Horohira Bridge, connected Sapporo City with Toyohira Town (now part of Toyohira Ward). It was the first bridge to be built upstream from Toyohira Bridge and was considered the largest privately funded bridge in Japan at the time.
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| Horohira Bridge - Sapporo City, Hokkaido Prefecture |
On June 26, 1954, a new bridge was opened: a 150.7-meter-long, 7.5-meter-wide seven-span continuous Gerber bridge (a type of truss bridge). On the same day, a new Moiko Bridge also opened. Initially, the bridge was constructed without sidewalks to allow for future expansion, and sidewalks were added in two phases, in 1966 and 1970. Over time, increased traffic and the bridge’s aging structure led to deterioration.
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| Horohira Bridge as seen from Toyohiragawa Dori Avenue |
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| Toyohira River |
The current bridge, completed in October 1995, also served as a filming location for the movie Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (released in 1996). It’s also a filming location of one of the scenes in Episode 7 of the 2022 Japanese drama series First Love.
Photos of Horohira Bridge
The current bridge features a roadway and sidewalk, both measuring 160.6 meters in length. The span division of the bridge is comprised of segments measuring 42.5 meters, 86.0 meters, and 31.1 meters. The bridge is designed as a continuous box girder bridge for the roadway and a Lohse Bridge for the sidewalk. The total steel weight of the structure is 1,439 tons for the roadway and 1,113 tons for the sidewalk.
Team Nicerio visits Horohira Bridge
My daughter and I visited Horohira Bridge for the first time last January 14, 2022, which was my 439th day here in Japan as an ALT under the JET Programme. My daughter and I made sure to include it in our itinerary for the day as we were both big fans of the Japanese drama series “First Love”. We made it our goal to visit all the filming locations there as possible and Horohira Bridge was one of them. Sadly, it was winter when we visited, and the arched walkway was closed. Regardless, we just contented ourselves viewing it from different vantage points and taking pictures of it before heading to the nearby other filming location of the drama series.
Horohira Bridge Admission Fee
It’s FREE to cross the bridge.
Horohira Bridge Operating Hours
Horohira Bridge is open 24/7. However, the arched walkway is closed in winter.
Why visit Horohira Bridge?
Horohira Bridge is a captivating destination due to its rich historical significance and scenic beauty. Completed in 1927 by Kawai Saiichiro, it was once Japan’s largest privately funded bridge and showcases a blend of engineering styles, including a continuous box girder for the roadway and a Lohse Bridge for the sidewalk. The bridge offers picturesque views of the surrounding landscape, making it ideal for photography and leisurely strolls. If you are a big fan of “First Love,” then make sure to visit this place and recreate the “Ice Cream Scene” in Episode 7.
Getting to Horohira Bridge
From Sapporo Station, walk to the Sapporo Station of the Namboko Line and board the subway going to Horohirabashi Station. From there, walk for about 170 meters to reach the bridge.
Travel time: 14 minutes
Fare: 210 yen
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