Chorokubashi Bridge, Kumamoto Live Cam

A rooftop in central Kumamoto looks down on the Shirakawa River and the curved Chorokubashi Bridge that crosses it. The bridge carries a busy road across the water, with a grassy embankment on the right and apartment blocks on the far side.

The Shirakawa River rises in the Aso area and runs through the middle of Kumamoto city on its way to the Ariake Sea. Chorokubashi carries National Route 3 over the river. Its name refers to the sixth year of the Keicho era, 1601, when Kato Kiyomasa built the first bridge over the Shirakawa at this point.

The camera looks south from above, so the bridge piers, the water and the cars crossing are the main things to watch. Reeds and trees cover the bank on the left, and a tall apartment block frames the right edge of the picture. The framing shifts slightly during the day, but the bridge stays in the centre.