Water was released Tuesday for the first time in four years and three months from Tsujunkyo bridge -- a government-designated important cultural asset in Yamato, Kumamoto Prefecture -- in a commemorative discharge, open to the public, that followed the completion of preservation and repair work to the stone structure, which was originally damaged in the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake.
The arched aqueduct bridge built in 1854, late Edo period (1603-1867), has long enriched the surrounding rice fields. Restoration work began in April 2017 after the Kumamoto earthquake caused damaged to the bridge and cracks in its water pipes. However, the bridge was also damaged in the heavy rains of May 2018, when the stone wall collapsed, according to the town's board of education.
The release of water, scheduled to resume on April 19 after work was completed in March, was postponed due to the spread of the new coronavirus.
On Tuesday, following a dedication ceremony, the commemorative water release began shortly after 11 a.m. After a countdown, water vigorously spewed out drawing cheers from the crowd in attendance.
"The Tsujunkyo Bridge is a symbol of the town. Seeing the water release brought back a lot of memories," said a 72-year-old man from Yamato, Kumamoto Prefecture.
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