The smallest building in the yard, and one of the oldest
South of the warehouse, facing west, stands a shed of red brick barely 9.9 square meters in plan. Built in 1910 (Meiji 43), it is among the oldest structures at Nihongi, and its job was specific: to store the oil that fueled the lamps once used to light railway carriages.
In the age before electric lighting, every station kept a lamp shed (ranpu-goya). Flammable oil had to be held apart from timber buildings, which is why this one is brick rather than wood, a small strongbox for a dangerous everyday substance.
Fireproofing dressed in Western style
For so small a building, the detailing is careful. A cornice (nokijabara) runs below the eaves, and the two gable ends are worked into pediment-like shapes borrowed from Western architecture. Stone sills carry the windows on either side, and a single doorway opens at the center of the front.
Inside, the floor is bare earth and the walls are plastered, framed by a Japanese-style timber roof. Listed in September 2019, the lamp shed was recognized under the criterion for works that serve as a model of design, a distinction none of the other Nihongi structures share.
The red-brick shed the town adopted
Locals call it the red-brick shed (aka-renga-goya), and it has become a small favorite. The railway has opened it seasonally alongside a trackside viewing deck, so the oldest kind of railway building at the station can be seen up close.
Its brick warmth stands out against the timber and steel of its neighbors, and from beside it the reversing trains of the switchback pass close by. For a structure built to hold lamp oil, it now does quiet duty as the yard's most photogenic corner.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Niigata
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihongi Station Lamp Shed
- [ Sado Island & Echigo-Yuzawa Ski Resort Tours ]
Q&A
- What was the lamp shed used for?
- Storing the fuel oil for the lamps that once lit railway carriages. It is a brick oil store, built apart from the timber buildings for fire safety.
- Why is it made of brick when other structures are wood?
- Because it held flammable lamp oil. Brick construction with a plastered interior guarded against fire, a careful design for a hazardous material.
- How big and how old is it?
- It dates to 1910 (Meiji 43) and covers just 9.9 square meters, making it the smallest and one of the oldest listed structures at the station.
- Can I see it up close?
- Yes, seasonally. Locally known as the red-brick shed, it has been opened to visitors along with a trackside viewing deck, weather permitting.
Basic Information
| Name | Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihongi Station Lamp Shed |
|---|---|
| Location | Itabashi, Nakago-ku, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (registered 10 September 2019, No. 15-502) |
| Era / Year | Meiji 43 (1910) |
| Structure | Brick, single storey, tile-covered gabled roof; floor area 9.9 sq m; cornice and gable pediments |
| Count | 1 building |
| Owner | Echigo Tokimeki Railway Co., Ltd. |
| Access | Nihongi Station, Myoko Haneuma Line; opened seasonally as the red-brick shed |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database — Nihongi Station Lamp Shed
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012887
- Cultural Heritage Online — Nihongi Station Lamp Shed
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/413615
- Echigo Tokimeki Railway — opening of the red-brick lamp shed
- https://www.echigo-tokimeki.co.jp/information/detail?id=596
- Niigata Prefecture Tourism Association — Nihongi Station
- https://niigata-kankou.or.jp/spot/44197
Last verified: 2026.07.08