Yasunosuke Futa
| Yasunosuke Futa | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1801 Yabe, Kumamoto, Japan |
| Died | 1873 |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Occupation | Village chief |
| Known for | Construction of Tsūjun Bridge |
Yasunosuke Futa (布田 保之助 Futa Yasunosuke?, 26 November 1801 – 1873) was a village chief and also an architect in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. He built an aqueduct, Tsujun Bridge, which improved the fertility of the land.
Futa inherited the post of village chief at the age of twenty-three. At the age of thirty, he was entrusted to extend rice fields and was provided with the funds to do so. He became a full-fledged village chief at the age of thirty-two. Within that same year, he was awarded a prize for successfully keeping nationwide famine away from his village. Futa undertook the construction of the notable Tsujun Bridge, which was completed on July 29, 1854. He was recognized and lauded for his contributions to the village, particularly by Lord Hosokawa for the bridge. He remained village chief until he died on April 3, 1873 at the age of seventy-one.
Tsujun Bridge is an aqueduct in Yabe, Kumamoto. Completed in 1854, it is an arch bridge 84 meters long, with an arch that spans 27.3 meters. It is the largest stone aqueduct in Japan. The aqueduct was 6 meters lower than the upper part of the waterway, and because of this, a reversed siphon mechanism works when water is allowed to flow through the aqueduct. The stone aqueduct was made watertight with mortar. In order to keep the aqueduct in good working condition, and for the safety of viewers such as tourists, water is poured into the river once in a while.
Before construction of the Tsujun Bridge, Futa had completed a number of construction works including bridges, and already had a great reputation.
For 7 years, Futa had saved money for the construction, but he had to get the approval of his superiors. Because Futa was a village chief, he could not attend the budget conference of Higo Province, but his superiors such as Gennosuke Mano (Oometsuke) and Han-emon Kouzuma (Gundai) attended. Lord Hosokawa allowed stone technicians to study the framework of Kumamoto Castle, which was exceptional.
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