Rissōbashi Monument

There is a monument for the Rikkusa Bridge at the foot of the bridge over the Omaru irrigation canal (Sugahori) located at 656 Higashi-Naganuma. This stone monument was erected to commemorate the replacement of the wooden bridge over the Omaru irrigation canal, which played a very important role as agricultural water since that time, with a stone bridge in the 9th year of the Tenpo era (1838) through the cooperation of the villages of Naganuma and Oshitate.
The monument is a rectangular pillar shape, measuring 126 cm in height, 35 cm in width, and 23 cm in thickness, with the origin of the Rikkusa Bridge engraved on its surface. The inscription notes that the stone bridge was completed in October of the 9th year of the Tenpo era, but there is no mention of the date of the monument's establishment. It is believed to have been built during the late Edo period, after the 9th year of the Tenpo era. On the right side of the monument, there is a poem engraved that reads, "The bridge of the Kida River and the Rikkusa of Tama, becomes the stone of the era of stability," expressing the wishes of the villagers for a stable society. The left side shows the distances to various places such as Edo, Hachioji, Kawagoe, Fuchu, Odawara, Oyama, Kawasaki, and Nikkosan, indicating that it served as a guidepost. The back side states, "Naganuma Village and Oshitate Village, in the total village," indicating that it was established through the cooperation of both villages.
The old road crossing the Rikkusa Bridge leads north to the ferry terminal of the Tama River (Oshitate Ferry) and was one of the main roads of the time. For Naganuma Village on the south side of Oshitate Village, the existence of the Rikkusa Bridge on the main road was very significant, and the replacement with a stone bridge seemed to be a long-held wish of the villagers. The Rikkusa Bridge monument is a rare and valuable stone monument that serves as both a memorial for the stone bridge and a guidepost.