Spectacles Bridge

Found this draincover in central Nagasaki, not far from the bridge depicted in the design.

Its name, Meganebashi, means "spectacles bridge", for obvious reasons, and it is believed to be the oldest stone arch bridge in Japan. It was built in 1634 by a Chinese monk from the nearby Chinese temple, Kofuku-Ji.

The buttresses of the central section of the bridge are covered in coins. I can only imagine that it is done for good luck.

There are a total of ten stone bridges along the section of the Nakashima River that runs through central Nagasaki. During a major flood in 1982, 6 of them were destroyed. Badly damaged, all the original stones of Megane Bashi were found and so the bridge could be restored.