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( U )  The locomotive C-56 preserved at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. ( By courtesy of Mr.Kiyoshi Ôi )
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( V )  The Bridge on the River Kwai(Kwae), Kanchanaburi, Thailand. ( By courtesy of Mr.Kiyoshi Ôi )  The Bridge over the River Kwai(Kwae) |
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| The@Japanese military forced the prisoners of war of the allied countries
such as British, Australian and Dutch POWs and Asian laborers to work very hard and many hours a day. Many prisoners of war died of illness as a result of malnutrition, hard work, severe climate in the jungle and shortage of medical supplies. It was called "Railway of Death". Personally, I believe that "16,000 allied POWs died of illness as a result of torture " is not a correct description because they were valuable labor force to build the railway within a shorter period as possible and the Japanese military authority needed to keep them alive. There were also hospitals for the PWOs. The railway was the good target for American bombers. The Japanese military placed prisoners on the railway as "human shields", but they were bombed. It is said that 30,000 POWs of the allied countries and 100,000 Asian laborers were employed to built the railways. But, other information say that 60,000 POWs and 200,000 Asian laborers worked on the railway. It is said also that 13,000 prisoners, 30,000 Asian workers and 1,000 Japanese soliders died. "The Bridge on the River Kwai" is one of the most absorbing war films of all time loosely modelled on the construction of the Thai-Burmese Railway. In the movie, the British colonel Nicholson finally accepted to make his men build the bridge with the British engineers to supervise the works to show the Japanese the superiority of the British people to the Japanese, but actually the bridge on the river Kwai was built under the supervision of the Japanese military engineers. The whistled tune of the theme music "Colonel Bogey March" is so cheerfully rhythmical to convey the tragedy of the war to us. This film won seven Oscars in 1957. Thailand has become one of the most visited tourist destinations in South East Asia. The Bridge over the River Kwae ( Kwai ) is one of the most popular tourist attractions. The railway built for military purpose now transports tourists from all over the world. In 2001, thirteen million foreign tourists including 1,200,000 Japanese tourists visited Thailand. In December 2004, the tourist coasts of Thailand was struck by the disastrous tsunami and 8,300 were dead or missing. Many hotels, restaurants and shops were destroyed by it. They started recovering soon from the damage. In Kanchanaburi where the Bridge over the River Kwae( Kwai), there is Jeath Museum. Jeath is the acronym of " Japan, England, Australia, Thailand and Holland ". There is also the Museum of the Second World War, the Cementery and the monument to the people fallen in the construction of the bridge. |
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( 6 )  The carriers " Kawagoe Ninsoku " carrying two heavy sumo wreslers to cross the Okitsu-gawa River. Ukiyo-e painting by Hiroshige. ( Shimizu city, Shizuoka prefecture ) |
( 7 )  The Abe-gawa River in Fuchu Ukiyo-e by Hiroshige. |
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( W )  The Rio Sakawa-gawa in Odawara Ukiyo-e by Hiroshige ( Odawara City, Kanagawa pref. ) |
(@ X@) The Tenryu River in Mitsuke |
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(@PO ) The Hôrai Bridge ( By courtesy of the Drummer Group of Shimada-jyuku Hôrai Daiko ) 897.4 meters long, y 2.7 meters wide The longest wooden bridge in the world recognized by the Guinness Book. Toll
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( PP ) The Hôrai-bashi Bridge ( By courtesy of the Hôrai Daiko Drummers ) i@PQ@j  The Hôrai-bashi Bridge under repair ( By courtesy of the Hôrai Daiko Drummmers ) |
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| In 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu founded the shogunate in Edo. He wanted that the
Tokugawa regime would last as long as possible. He thought that it would be possible for warlords in the West of Japan succumbed by military force to the Tokugawas might rise in revolt and would come to attack the Edo Castle. For the military reason, he prohibitted that the bridge would be built across the Ôi-gawa River and crossing the river by boat. Looking at some Ukiyo-e paintings by Hiroshige, along the Tôkaido Road, there were some more rivers which had not a bridge, The travel became more expensive when the transit across the river was prohibitted. They must spend many days at the Shukuba-maqchi ( the town of inns ) at both sides of ther river. The crossing the river on foot was very dangerous even when the level of the water is low. In 1696, the shogunate organized the carriers or porters. The office of wading the river was built in the Shimada Shukuba-machi. The officials decided the fee of the transit according to the depth of the water of the day. There were five classes of the services to cross the river. Crossing the river on a gourgeous palanqueen was most expensive. I was carried by sixteen carriers and four assistants.
the government to the Imperial Court. His retainers and his loyal warlords were indignant however, to know that the new imperial government would not treat the the Houser of Tokugawas with dignity and honor. The last shogun, incited by them, started the Toba-Fushimi War. He was pardened, however, as he handed the Edo Castle peacefully to the new government. He went to the Shizuoka prefecture where he lived about thirty years. He was nominated as duke and he returned to Tokyo. When he went to the Shizuoka prefecture, some samurai accompanied him as his guards. Some officials in the central government were very concerned about the living of the former samurai who accompanied the last shogun to Shizuoka. They lost their priviledges of samurai and they must earn their living. The government arranged so that they could enter the Makinohara Plateau across the Ôi-gawa river to cultivate tea. In 1869, 30 families of former samurai headed by Nakajyo Kageaki entered the Plateau to cultivate tea. Silk and tea were almost only products that Japan could export at the end of the nineteen century. The river wading control was abolished in 1870. The porters lost their job. They presented a petition to have a land in the Makinohara Plateau and their petition was accepted. They entered the Plateau in 1871. Many farmers had houses in Shimada city. Crossing the river was dangerous sometimes when the current is rapid. In october 1878, the petition which carried 42 representative farmers was presented to the governor of Shizuoka prefecture for the construction of " a bridge for the exclusive purpose of agriculture". The government only issued the permit for building the bridge. The farmers paid for the construction of the bridge. In 1879, the wooden bridge Hôrai-bashi was completed. The bridge became of othe few toll bridges in Japan. Those who did not pay for the construction of the bridge must pay some amount to cross the bridge. The bridge lost its importance for agriculture and its maintenance is done by the local government. But, the bridge remained to be the toll bridge by custom and by tradition. Now, 5,000 ha. of the tea field in the Makinohara Plateau produce 13 % of the total production of tea in Japan. The Shizuoka Prefecture produces half of tea produced in Japan. In 1997, the Hôrai-bashi Bridge, 879.4 meters long, was recognized by the Guinness Book as the longest wooden bridge in the world. The bridge has become an tourist spot. The Ôi-gawa River will remind us of four hundred years of the history of Shimada and Japan. The bullet trains cross the river now. The super highway Tômei which connects Tokyo with Nagoya can not meet increasing traffic and now the Second Tômei Highway is under construction. Japan now has a highly advanced technology in bridge building. Across several rivers in the Shizuoka Prefecturem there are many modern bridges. Unbelievably, Ôi-gawa River Railway company has a few old fashioned steam powered locomotives in operation. ©Copyright reserved - 21st February 2005 |
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| Photo Gallery - the Hôrai Bridge - Shimada-jyuku Hôrai Daiko Drummers |
The official web.site of the government of the Shizuoka Prefecture |
Shimada-jyuku Hôrai Daiko Drummers |
| Live camera - the Hôrai-bashi Bridge |
Photos of the Thai-Burmese Railway and the Bridge on the River Kwai |
The Solitary Journey in South East Asian Country of "Oji-san no Hitori-tabi" |
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