Group working to reconstruct Enkobashi Bridge hopes to share history of Hiroshima
May 13, 2014
The Enkobashi Bridge links Enkobashi-cho, an area around the south entrance of Hiroshima Station, in Minami Ward, with Matoba-cho. The bridge was completed in 1926, and named after the Enkogawa River, which flows beneath it.
In July 2008, a group was formed which seeks to reconstruct the ornaments on the bridge’s newel posts and railings to their original state, because the metal for these ornaments was used for the war effort during World War II.
The group has raised funds, and asked Hiroshima City University to make a model of the bridge as it originally appeared, with ornaments intact, and produce an image of this appearance through the use of computer graphics. Members of the group have also visited City Hall to ask about reconstructing the bridge.
The group had wanted to create a monument by the side of the bridge featuring a newel post with an eagle perched on a globe. However, because the City of Hiroshima is now planning to restore the bridge to its original state, as part of its efforts to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing in 2015, the group has decided to forgo the monument and place only the ornaments on the river bank so the public can freely touch them. In addition, after the bridge is reconstructed, the group will continue their activities to preserve it, and they hope to work in cooperation with the city government to produce a pamphlet about the bridge and organize a festival.
Keiichi Ohashi, 67, the leader of the group, said, “I hope that Enkobashi Bridge offers a chance for people to know about the pre-war history of Hiroshima.” (Ishin Nakahara, 15)
(Originally Published on April 21, 2014)
In July 2008, a group was formed which seeks to reconstruct the ornaments on the bridge’s newel posts and railings to their original state, because the metal for these ornaments was used for the war effort during World War II.
The group has raised funds, and asked Hiroshima City University to make a model of the bridge as it originally appeared, with ornaments intact, and produce an image of this appearance through the use of computer graphics. Members of the group have also visited City Hall to ask about reconstructing the bridge.
The group had wanted to create a monument by the side of the bridge featuring a newel post with an eagle perched on a globe. However, because the City of Hiroshima is now planning to restore the bridge to its original state, as part of its efforts to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing in 2015, the group has decided to forgo the monument and place only the ornaments on the river bank so the public can freely touch them. In addition, after the bridge is reconstructed, the group will continue their activities to preserve it, and they hope to work in cooperation with the city government to produce a pamphlet about the bridge and organize a festival.
Keiichi Ohashi, 67, the leader of the group, said, “I hope that Enkobashi Bridge offers a chance for people to know about the pre-war history of Hiroshima.” (Ishin Nakahara, 15)
(Originally Published on April 21, 2014)
