A Station That Kept Its Interior
The Kominato Railway Umatate Station Building (小湊鉄道馬立駅本屋) is a single-storey timber station built around 1925 in the Umatate district of Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture; extended in 1932 and 1986, it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 2, 2017.
Umatate lies about 2.4 kilometers south of the First Yorogawa Bridge. Under its pantiled roof, the Kominato Railway Umatate Station Building follows the standard design used when the line opened.
Ticket Window and Parcels Hatch
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as single-storey timber with a tiled roof and a building area of 61 square meters, clad mainly in horizontal overlapping boards.
What the agency singles out is the inside. The vertical-board wainscot, the ceiling, and the joinery around the ticket window and the separate hatch where luggage and parcels were handed over all survive in good condition from the opening years. Many Kominato stations keep their original look outside; Umatate keeps it indoors as well.
Seeing It
The Kominato Railway Umatate Station Building is still in use, and the waiting room is open to passengers. Inside, look at the vertical boarding below the windows, the ceiling, and the timber frames of the two counters. Even unused, they show that tickets and parcels were once handled at separate openings.
The station is unstaffed but has a ticket machine. As of September 25, 2026, trains between Goi and Kazusa Ushiku were running normally.
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Q&A
- When was the Kominato Railway Umatate Station Building built?
- Around 1925, with extensions in 1932 and 1986.
- What is special about the Umatate Station Building?
- Its interior woodwork, including the wainscot, ceiling, ticket window and parcels hatch, survives from the opening years.
- Can I go inside the Kominato Railway Umatate Station Building?
- Yes, the waiting room is open to passengers using the station.
- How is Umatate pronounced?
- Uma-ta-te. The name is written 馬立.
- How do I get to Umatate Station?
- Take the Kominato line from Goi. The station is unstaffed but has a ticket machine.
Basic Information
| Name | Kominato Railway Umatate Station Building (小湊鉄道馬立駅本屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 790-2 Magarimoto, Umatate, Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2017/5/2 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof, building area 61 square meters |
| Owner | Kominato Railway Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Working station; waiting room open to passengers |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 小湊鉄道馬立駅本屋
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011465
- Cultural Heritage Online: 小湊鉄道馬立駅本屋
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/246711
- Kominato Railway: 22 facilities registered as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Japanese)
- https://www.kominato.co.jp/corporate/topics/heritage/index.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
