Mino Bridge is a pedestrian bridge spanning the Nagara River in Mino City, Gifu Prefecture. Completed in 1916, it is recognized as Japan’s oldest surviving modern suspension bridge. It received the Japan Society of Civil Engineers’ Selected Civil Engineering Heritage designation in 2001 and was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 2003.
The bridge measures 113 meters in total length, with a main span of 116 meters and a width of 3.1 meters. It was constructed using the bedrock on the steep slopes of Mount Ogura, with the main tower on the left bank built directly on the rock foundation.
Today, the bridge’s stiffening truss is painted vermilion, while its main towers are white. In 1975, the truss was sky blue, and the towers retained their natural concrete finish. Lighting has also been installed, making the bridge a popular destination for photographers after dark.
Mino Bridge is located north of central Mino City, where the Nagara River curves around the western side of Mount Ogura. It is the oldest surviving modern suspension bridge in Japan.
The bridge features reinforced-concrete main towers, a wooden deck, and a distinctive steel stiffening truss. It was designed and constructed under the direction of Inazo Toya, an engineering specialist from Gifu Prefecture.
Construction began in August 1915, and the bridge was completed in August 1916. It is a single-span stiffened suspension bridge measuring 113 meters in total length, with a main span of 116 meters and a width of 3.1 meters. At the time of its construction, it ranked among Japan’s largest suspension bridges in terms of span length.
The bridge’s distinctive appearance has changed over time. Its stiffening truss is now vermilion, and its main towers are white, whereas in 1975 the truss was sky blue and the towers remained unpainted concrete.
Mino Bridge is now reserved for pedestrians and bicycles. However, until around 1965, small passenger buses and other vehicles also crossed it.
The bridge stands slightly upstream from the former Kamikoji Port, an important river transport point. Before the bridge was built, people relied on ferries to cross the Nagara River. As traffic increased, the need for a permanent crossing led to the construction of Mino Bridge.
A newer bridge, Shin-Mino Bridge, now carries Gifu Prefectural Route 81 (Mino-Horado Line) across the river upstream.
With its historic engineering, distinctive red truss, and scenic setting above the Nagara River, Mino Bridge offers visitors a chance to appreciate Japan’s early modern civil engineering heritage while enjoying the atmosphere of the surrounding landscape.