Usui, Usui Railway Bridge No. 3 made of bricks

Usui Third Bridge, the largest brick arch bridge in Japan, is part of a 6km scenic walking trail called the Abt Trail. The trail follows a decommissioned railway track, passing six bridges and ten tunnels, surrounded by a national park. The bridge is nicknamed “Meganebashi,” meaning “spectacles bridge,” for its four arched bricks. Built in 1892 by British engineer Charles Asheton Whately Pownall during Japan’s rapid modernization during the Meiji period (1868–1912), the bridge served as a railway link between Yokogawa in Gunma and Karuizawa in Nagano. Train service ceased in 1963, and the bridge was reintroduced as part of a nature trail in 2001.