The Oldest Building in the Tadotsu Works
The oldest structure still standing in the JR Tadotsu Works dates its timbers to 1888, the decade Shikoku gained its first railway. Workshop No.15 rises at the northern edge of the grounds, a single-story timber hall roofed in slate, its ridge running 42.7 meters with a span of 12.2 meters.
The building was first raised in 1888 and moved to its present position at some point between the 1920s and the 1940s; the relocation is recorded only within that range. It survives as a direct link to the works that began when the Sanuki Railway opened the Marugame to Kotohira line in 1889.
Why It Is Registered
Inside, the roof does the talking. A king-post truss carries the covering, stiffened by diagonal braces, angle ties and supplementary posts, an arrangement that lets the hall span its full width without a single interior column. That clear floor was exactly what a repair shop needed, room to move rolling stock and swing tools without obstruction.
As the earliest surviving structure in a works whose roots reach back to the birth of railways in Shikoku, No.15 was placed on the national register in 2012 for its contribution to the historic landscape of the country.
What to Notice, and How to See It
From outside, the long slated roofline and the plain timber walls read as honest industrial building, without ornament. The value lies in age and continuity, a wooden workshop from the 1880s still in place within a factory that never stopped working.
The works is active railway property and closed to casual visitors. It opens to the public once a year around Railway Day in October for the event known as Kisha Poppo Matsuri, when a shuttle train runs from Tadotsu Station into the grounds; group tours can sometimes be arranged in advance. Because dates shift from year to year, confirm the current schedule with JR Shikoku before setting out.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kagawa
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near JR Tadotsu Factory Workplace No. 15
- [ Naoshima Art Island & Kotohiragu Shrine Visit ]
Q&A
- Why does this building matter?
- It is the oldest surviving structure in the Tadotsu Works, with timbers dating from 1888, near the start of railways in Shikoku.
- What is notable about its construction?
- A king-post timber truss lets the hall stand without interior columns, giving an open floor suited to railway repair work.
- Was it always on this spot?
- No. It was first built in 1888 and relocated to its present position at some point between the 1920s and the 1940s.
- Can it be visited?
- It sits within an active JR Shikoku works and is not open for casual visits, though the grounds open once a year around October.
Basic Information
| Name | JR Tadotsu Works Shokuba No.15 (Workshop No.15) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1058-2-Kō, Ōdōri, Tadotsu, Nakatado District, Kagawa |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), registered 13 August 2012 |
| Registration No. | 37-0386 |
| Count | 1 building |
| Built | 1888 (Meiji 21); relocated between 1926 and 1945 |
| Structure | Single-story timber building, slate roof, floor area 523 sq m; king-post truss, ridge 42.7 m, span 12.2 m |
| Owner | Shikoku Railway Company (JR Shikoku) |
| Access | Active railway works, not open to casual visitors; annual public open day around October |
References
- 国指定文化財等データベース（文化庁）
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009390
- 文化遺産オンライン ＪＲ多度津工場職場一五号
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/273103
Last verified: 2026.07.03