A Timber Canopy on Platform 1
The JR Zentsuji Station Platform 1 Canopy (ＪＲ善通寺駅一番ホーム上屋) is the timber canopy over Platform 1, beside the station building of JR Zentsuji Station at Bunkyo-cho, Zentsuji City, Kagawa Prefecture, built around 1922, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on June 25, 2002 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a timber structure with a building area of 293 square metres, registration number 37-0091, owned by the Shikoku Railway Company.
The 1922 Rebuilding
According to the Zentsuji City Tourism Association, the station opened in May 1889 on the Sanuki Railway, a line of about 15.5 kilometres linking Kotohira, Tadotsu and Marugame that carried so many pilgrims to Zentsuji and Kotohira-gu that it was called the pilgrimage railway. Nationalised in 1906, the station was rebuilt in autumn 1922 for army grand manoeuvres held in the area.
The JR Zentsuji Station Platform 1 Canopy stands on the platform joined to the station building on the west side of the tracks (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Zentsuji City Tourism Association notes that Taisho-era timberwork survives in the platform roof.
Value as a Registered Cultural Property
The JR Zentsuji Station Platform 1 Canopy was registered as a structure contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that its widened span, with the western row of posts set into the station building, binds canopy and building together.
What to Look For
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes square posts whose section changes between upper and lower parts, topped by braces spreading in four directions that carry the upper chords of the roof trusses and the lower chords clamping them at the ends.
The span of the JR Zentsuji Station Platform 1 Canopy is a generous 15.5 feet, and because its western posts are built into the station building, platform and building read as one space (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
Zentsuji Station is a working station; its building can be seen from outside by anyone, while the platform canopies and footbridge lie within the station and are best seen when travelling by train. The address is 1-7-1 Bunkyo-cho, Zentsuji City.
See the group page JR Zentsuji Station for all four structures.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kagawa
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near JR Zentsuji Station Platform 1 Canopy
- [ Naoshima Art Island & Kotohiragu Shrine Visit ]
Q&A
- When was it built?
- Around 1922 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is it built?
- Square posts with four-way braces carry trusses of upper and lower chords (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How does it relate to the station building?
- Its span was widened to 15.5 feet and its western posts set into the building (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Does Taisho timberwork survive?
- Yes, in the platform roof (Zentsuji City Tourism Association).
- When was the JR Zentsuji Station Platform 1 Canopy registered?
- On June 25, 2002.
Basic Information
| Name | JR Zentsuji Station Platform 1 Canopy (ＪＲ善通寺駅一番ホーム上屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-7-1 Bunkyo-cho, Zentsuji City, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2002/06/25 (Heisei 14) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Timber, building area 293 square metres |
| Owner | Shikoku Railway Company |
| Public Access | Within the station (view when travelling by train) |
References
- JR Zentsuji Station Platform 1 Canopy (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002823
- Old Photographs of Zentsuji: Zentsuji Station, 1889 (Zentsuji City)
- https://www.city.zentsuji.kagawa.jp/soshiki/50/m22zentsujistation.html
- JR Zentsuji Station (Zentsuji City Tourism Association, Kukai Navi)
- https://www.kukainavi.com/spot/watch/entry-484.html
Last verified: 2026.10.11
