The First Gas Light in Japan

As traffic increased across the borderline between the Japanese and Foreign Settlement, Yoshidabashi, the bridge at the entrance of Isezakicho became an important checkpoint. It was an easily damageable wooden bridge, and so the government decided to have it replaced with one made of steel. Under the supervision of the English civil engineer, Richard H. Brunton, a steel bridge spanning 78 ft. (23.6m) with a width of 30 ft. (9.1m) was constructed in 1869. It was reconstructed to a ferro-concrete bridge in 1911. Iron for the steel bridge was imported from Shanghai.?The traffic checking system to and from Foreign Settlement was abolished in 1871 but the toll charge for crossing the steel bridge continued for three more years till 1874. The Japanese syllables for “metal” and “money” are the same “kane” and it is said that the bridge was called “Kanenohashi” mainly because it was of a steel structure and also because of the toll charges.