Long ago, people in Yabe gazed longingly at land on a plateau which could be farmed if only it had water, but a narrow river valley cut it off. One day, a villiage leader, Futa Yasunosuke (布田 保之助), came up with a good idea: Let’s build an aqueduct! So, at about the price of one Hosokawa clan visit to Edo, they did (seriously - this is like building an aqueduct for the same cost as a single Trump golf outing). The bridge was completed in 1854. To save on cost, they let it sag a bit in the middle, with water pressure moving things along - but there was a problem with sediment building up in the center, so Futa-san came up with the brilliant idea of vent-holes at the arch’s lowest point which can be periodically opened to flush the plumbing (there are large wooden plugs). From this practical purpose, a work of art was born.
The bridge was damaged in the quakes and then by heavy rain, with the southern side subsiding by some ten meters. Kumanichi reports that restoration work has begun - the integrity of the structure and of its plumbing, still vital to the area, must be maintained. (Disclaimer: Decades ago, my father-in-law worked on a previous bout of the bridge’s restoration.) - William