Taiko Bashi (Drum bridge) - San Francisco, California
Posted by: 
hotshoe
N 37° 46.210 W 122° 28.190
10S E 546692 N 4180447
Maximum arch bridge made by master builder Shinshichi Nakatani for Midwinter Fair Japanese Village
Waymark Code: WM629Y
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 03/21/2009
Views: 20
An arch bridge cannot be more dramatic than this half circle. This is just inside the entrance to the Japanese Tea Gardens, which were built in Golden Gate Park for the 1894 International Exhibition (Midwinter Fair), and it has been delighting visitors ever since. Foot holds which are not quite as broad as stairsteps but not quite as open as ladder rungs allow safely crossing the bridge.
According to the bronze plaque at the bridge:
"SHINSHICHI NAKATANI
Jigozen Mura, Hiroshima-Ken, Japan
1846 - 1922
MASTER BUILDER
Commissioned by the government of Japan to create a Drum Bridge
(Taiko Bashi) for the 1894 San Francisco Midwinter Fair,
Designed and built the bridge in Japan, had a Shinto blessing for it
and brought it to San Francisco,
Sold the Nakatani family rice fields to complete the Bridge and create the
Bell Gate (Shoro-no-mon) through which visitors enter the Japanese Tea Garden,
Asked his son to remain in San Francisco for nearly half a century,
earning money to repurchase the family fields ...
San Francisco gratefully recognizes the
dedication and expertise of
Shinshichi Nakatani
for his unique contribution to the City
and to the charm of the Japanese Tea Garden."
Length of bridge: 20 ft
Height of bridge: 10 ft
What type of traffic does this bridge support?: pedestrian
What kind of gap does this bridge cross?:
stream
Date constructed: 1894
Is the bridge still in service for its original purpose?: yes
Name of road or trail the bridge services: garden path in Japanese Tea Garden
Location:
San Francisco, CA
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