A Power Plant for the Station and the Village
The Kominato Railway Former Tsurumai Power Station (小湊鉄道旧鶴舞発電所) is a thermal power-station building of around 1925 in the yard of Kazusa Tsurumai Station in the Ikewada district of Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 2, 2017.
The Kominato Railway Former Tsurumai Power Station stands across the tracks, diagonally opposite the station building. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, it supplied electricity not only to the station and other railway facilities but also to nearby homes. The company's history records that it began selling electric light and power on September 28, 1927.
Gabled, with Corrugated Iron Walls
The agency's description gives a gabled building 9.0 meters by 8.2 meters with corrugated iron walls on a steel frame, covering 74 square meters.
The structure field of the same record, however, lists it as single-storey timber with a sheet-metal roof, which contradicts the steel frame in the description. This article does not choose between the two.
The agency values the building as evidence of a business model common to Kantō railways in the Taishō era, when a rail company doubled as the local electricity supplier.
Seeing It
The Kominato Railway Former Tsurumai Power Station is inside the station yard and cannot be entered. View it across the tracks from the platform or near the station building, where its plain metal-clad box contrasts with the timber station.
Since Typhoon No. 25 struck in September 2026, the line between Kazusa Ushiku and Kazusa-Nakano has been suspended until further notice, with no replacement buses (company statement of September 24, 2026), so for now it cannot be reached by train.
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Q&A
- When was the Kominato Railway Former Tsurumai Power Station built?
- Around 1925, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
- What did the Former Tsurumai Power Station supply?
- Electricity for the station and other railway facilities, and for nearby homes.
- Is the Kominato Railway Former Tsurumai Power Station steel or timber?
- The agency's record is inconsistent: the description says steel frame, the structure field says timber.
- Can I go inside the Former Tsurumai Power Station?
- No. It is seen across the tracks from the station.
- Can I visit the power station now?
- Not by train. The line beyond Kazusa Ushiku has been suspended since typhoon damage in September 2026.
Basic Information
| Name | Kominato Railway Former Tsurumai Power Station (小湊鉄道旧鶴舞発電所) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1323-1 Tajiri, Ikewada, Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2017/5/2 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | 9.0 meters by 8.2 meters, gabled, building area 74 square meters (the agency's record gives both timber and steel frame) |
| Owner | Kominato Railway Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Interior closed; exterior seen across the tracks (section suspended after 2026 typhoon damage) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 小湊鉄道旧鶴舞発電所
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011469
- Cultural Heritage Online: 小湊鉄道旧鶴舞発電所
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/256055
- Kominato Railway: 22 facilities registered as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Japanese)
- https://www.kominato.co.jp/corporate/topics/heritage/index.html
- Kominato Railway: Damage from Typhoon No. 25 and recovery outlook, September 24, 2026 (Japanese)
- https://www.kominato.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/30216b45daba750194c363de3f54800f.pdf
- Kominato Railway: Company history (Japanese)
- https://www.kominato.co.jp/corporate/history/
Last verified: 2026.10.01
