A Brick Mine Portal of 1900 Carved Tenryu Pit
The Former Hokutan Yubari Coal Mine Tenryu Pit Materials Incline Portal (旧北炭夕張炭鉱天龍坑資材斜坑坑口) is a brick incline portal with a tablet carved with the name Tenryu Pit of 1900 in Takamatsu, Yubari City, Hokkaido, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency records a brick portal 7.2 metres wide; registration number 01-0072.
A Brick Portal with a Name Tablet
The materials incline portal of the Tenryu Pit, east of the man-car incline portal, is a brick portal of 1900 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). A half-round arch 5 bricks thick and 4 metres across is set in a wall with pilasters and a cornice, and a tablet carved with the name Tenryu Pit sits above.
With the man-car incline portal, it is one of the chief remains of the No. 2 mining district, which had one of the largest coal outputs of the Hokutan Yubari mines (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
At the materials incline portal, look for the tablet carved Tenryu Pit and the brick face with pilasters and a cornice (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The owner is not listed in the Agency record. The mock tunnel and the Tenryu pit portals lie in the grounds of the Yubari Coal Mine Museum; according to its official site (checked November 2026), a real Tenryu pit portal survives at the exit of the mock tunnel. The museum is closed for winter from November 4, 2026 to late April 2027. The Hokkaido Tourism Organization gives its hours as 10:00 to 17:00 (April to September) and 10:00 to 16:00 (from October), closed on Tuesdays, with an entry fee.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1900 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What does the tablet say?
- Tenryu Pit.
- How big is the arch?
- Four metres across, 5 bricks thick.
- What district was it in?
- The high-output No. 2 district.
- When was the Former Hokutan Yubari Coal Mine Tenryu Pit Materials Incline Portal registered?
- On October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Hokutan Yubari Coal Mine Tenryu Pit Materials Incline Portal (旧北炭夕張炭鉱天龍坑資材斜坑坑口) |
|---|---|
| Location | Takamatsu, Yubari City, Hokkaido |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/10/18 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Brick, 7.2 m wide |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | No official information on access |
References
- Former Hokutan Yubari Coal Mine Tenryu Pit Materials Incline Portal (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005705
- Yubari Coal Mine Museum (official site, checked November 2026, in Japanese)
- https://www.coal-yubari.jp/
- Yubari Coal Mine Museum (Hokkaido Tourism Organization)
- https://www.visit-hokkaido.jp/spot/detail_13057.html
- Mock Tunnel of the Coal Mine Museum Reopens (Hokkaido Shimbun, April 30, 2025, in Japanese)
- https://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1154360/
Last verified: 2026.11.07