Amarube Railway Bridge: a Kasumi crab break beneath the bridge Even beside the huge bridge piers, there was somewhere to slow down

At midday in September, I came to the park beneath Amarube Railway Bridge. Huge columns stood in a row beyond the path; on the left I could see red steelwork, with grey concrete beside it. Holding the Kasumi crab burger I’d chosen at Amarube roadside station in both hands, I stopped by the lawn. I’d come to see the bridge, but first I wanted to enjoy a bite of what I was holding.

I pulled the paper wrapper down a little and could see crab meat and vegetables between the sesame buns. There was a creamy crab croquette inside too, making it much thicker than I’d expected. I adjusted my grip with both hands and took a bite. Eating Kasumi crab with bread like this was lovely too. I straightened the wrapper again, hoping to get the filling into my next bite as well.

My driving friend looked up at the red piers and said, “You can really see the shape of the steelwork.” I lowered the burger and followed the diagonal framework with my eyes. Apparently the piers from the old railway bridge had been kept here. Up close, I could see the sky between the steel members, so they looked different from the concrete columns next to them. Looking at the bridge’s structure from underneath was interesting too.

Between bites, I looked from the glass tower towards the upper part of the bridge. If I went up to that height, what would the park around me look like? My friend and I talked about going up to Sky Station once we’d finished eating. Here we were, chatting over lunch beneath an enormous structure. Having the lawn and paths made this a place to take our time looking at the bridge.

I took another bite, then looked up along the red steelwork one last time. At first, I’d only noticed its size, but now I even remembered how the columns were put together. A Kasumi crab break and piers that had remained from the old days. After enjoying both, I wanted to head up onto the bridge next. This coastal detour now offered the pleasure of seeing things from both below and above.