A Bright Shelter on the Mato-Bound Platform
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Sori Station Down Platform and Waiting Shelter (わたらせ渓谷鐵道沢入駅下り線プラットホーム及び待合所) is a stone down platform and timber waiting shelter of Sori Station dating from 1912 and 1927 at Sori, Azuma-cho, Midori City, Gunma Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 2, 2009 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a stone platform 99 metres long and a single-storey timber waiting shelter with a tiled roof and a building area of 9.9 square metres, registration number 10-0281.
The Ashio Copper Railway
According to Watarase Keikoku Railway, the Ashio copper mine, bought by Furukawa Ichibei in 1877, grew to produce half of Japan's copper, more than horses and a horse tramway could carry, so a railway was built from Kiryu to Ashio. The Ashio Railway opened to Omama in 1911, reached Ashio in December 1912 and was completed to Ashio Honzan in 1914. Nationalised in 1918 as the Ashio Line, it has been run by Watarase Keikoku Railway since 1989.
According to Watarase Keikoku Railway, Sori Station opened with the Godo to Sori section in November 1912. The Watarase Keikoku Railway Sori Station Down Platform and Waiting Shelter lies across the tracks to the west of the up platform (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Value as a Registered Cultural Property
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Sori Station Down Platform and Waiting Shelter was registered as a structure contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes the bright, open design of the shelter.
What to Look For
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a 99-metre platform with mortared walls and, at its centre, a shelter the same size as on the up side: the middle bay facing the track is the entrance, the other bays have boarded dados and sliding glazed doors, and there is no ceiling, leaving the roof frame visible.
Watarase Keikoku Railway's pamphlet notes that the Watarase Keikoku Railway Sori Station Down Platform and Waiting Shelter serves Mato-bound trains and has walls of irregular split stone. Its shelter, numbered 2, is older than the one on the up platform. Hydrangeas planted around the platform bloom from early July, when a festival is held.
Visiting
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Sori Station Down Platform and Waiting Shelter can be seen when using Sori Station. Watarase Keikoku Railway notes that all of its registered structures can be seen from the train.
Do not enter the tracks; view it from the train, the station or nearby roads. It is located at 962-1 Sori, Azuma-cho, Midori City, Gunma Prefecture, and other lots. Of the line's 38 registered structures, the 26 in Gunma and 11 in Tochigi are gathered on the group pages Watarase Keikoku Railway (Gunma Section) and Watarase Keikoku Railway (Tochigi Section).
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Gunma
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Watarase Keikoku Railway Sori Station Down Platform and Waiting Shelter
- [ Kusatsu Onsen & Tomioka Silk Mill Heritage Tours ]
Q&A
- When was it built?
- The platform in 1912 and the shelter in 1927 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Watarase Keikoku Railway).
- How is it built?
- A stone platform 99 metres long and a single-storey timber waiting shelter with a tiled roof and a building area of 9.9 square metres (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When is a good time to visit?
- From early July, when hydrangeas around the platform bloom and a festival is held (Watarase Keikoku Railway).
- Where can it be seen?
- The Watarase Keikoku Railway Sori Station Down Platform and Waiting Shelter can be seen when using Sori Station.
- When was the Watarase Keikoku Railway Sori Station Down Platform and Waiting Shelter registered?
- On November 2, 2009.
Basic Information
| Name | Watarase Keikoku Railway Sori Station Down Platform and Waiting Shelter (わたらせ渓谷鐵道沢入駅下り線プラットホーム及び待合所) |
|---|---|
| Location | 962-1 Sori, Azuma-cho, Midori City, Gunma Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2009/11/02 (Heisei 21) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Platform: stone, length 99 metres; shelter: timber, single storey, tiled roof, building area 9.9 square metres |
| Owner | Not listed in the national database (line operated by Watarase Keikoku Railway Co., Ltd.) |
| Public Access | Visible when using the station or from the train |
References
- Watarase Keikoku Railway Sori Station Down Platform and Waiting Shelter (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007854
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Watarase Keikoku Railway, in Japanese)
- https://www.watetsu.com/sightseeing/culture.php
- Pamphlet: Railway Heritage from the Train Window, map notes (Watarase Keikoku Railway, in Japanese)
- https://www.watetsu.com/assets/pdf/sightseeing/culture_yukei_des05.pdf
- History (Watarase Keikoku Railway, in Japanese)
- https://www.watetsu.com/company/history.php
Last verified: 2026.10.12
