These two men are responsible for the maintenance, safety and lifting and lowering of the center panel of the Okawa lift bridge. They open the span for 30 minutes in every hour, to let fishing boats in and out of the Chikugo River mouth.
The bridge was originally built in 1935 for trains, and was the largest lift bridge in Asia, but it now serves as a pedestrian only bridge.
In this photo, you can see the center section of the bridge returning to its 'open for pedestrian crossing' position.
