What Is the Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihongi Station Platform Roof?
The Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihongi Station Platform Roof (えちごトキめき鉄道二本木駅ホーム上屋) is a steel-framed canopy built in 1937 over the island platform of Nihongi Station, Itabashi, Nakago Ward, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on September 10, 2019. It covers 262 square meters, has a metal roof, and was renovated in the 1975 to 1984 period.
Its main members are not new steel sections but rails recycled from the track. The Agency for Cultural Affairs identifies American-made rail of 1923 and rail rolled at the Yawata Steel Works in 1929.
Why It Was Registered
The Nihongi Station Platform Roof was registered on September 10, 2019, in the 93rd round of listings, as No. 15-498, under the criterion of a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. It is classed not as a building but as an "other structure".
The Agency presents it as a component of a pre-war station landscape. The roof over waiting passengers keeps the platform looking much as it did in the early Showa years.
Columns Made from Paired Rails
Each column of the Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihongi Station Platform Roof is two old rails set head to head and welded into one. At the top, the rails bend outward to either side of the platform, acting as braces that catch the beams carrying the roof. Turning straight rail into a column and its brackets in one continuous piece is the thing to look at here.
The railway's own line guide lists the 1937 platform roof built of old rail among the station's highlights. Stand beside a column and look up: you can see the two rails joined at their heads and the way they part at the top.
Visiting
The Nihongi Station Platform Roof stands over the island platform, so boarding or leaving a train at Nihongi puts you right under it. You reach the platform from the station building through the underground passage.
The weld where the rails meet and the bend at the top are clearest on the columns midway along the platform. Keep away from the platform edge and the tracks, and out of the way of trains. The platform waiting room, also registered, stands at the south end of the roof.
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Q&A
- When was the Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihongi Station Platform Roof built?
- In 1937. It was renovated in the 1975 to 1984 period.
- What are the Nihongi Station Platform Roof columns made of?
- Old rails: American-made rail of 1923 and Yawata Steel Works rail of 1929, with two rails welded head to head to form each column.
- When did the Nihongi Station Platform Roof become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On September 10, 2019, as No. 15-498, under the criterion of a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country.
- What should I look for at the Nihongi Station Platform Roof?
- The welded rail columns and the way their tops bend out as braces to catch the roof beams. The columns midway along the platform show this best.
- How can I see the Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihongi Station Platform Roof?
- Take a train to or from Nihongi and you will be standing under it on the platform. Nihongi is about 16 minutes from Joetsu-Myoko by the Myoko Haneuma Line.
Basic Information
| Name | Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihongi Station Platform Roof (えちごトキめき鉄道二本木駅ホーム上屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 543-2 Nishiura, Itabashi, Nakago Ward, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), No. 15-498 |
| Year Designated | Registered September 10, 2019 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Steel frame, metal roof, area 262 square meters |
| Owner | Echigo Tokimeki Railway Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | On the platform; visible when using trains |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihongi Station Platform Roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012883
- Cultural Heritage Online: Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihongi Station Platform Roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/404271
- Line guide: Myoko Haneuma Line (Echigo Tokimeki Railway, in Japanese)
- https://www.echigo-tokimeki.co.jp/guide/haneuma-line/
Last verified: 2026.09.28
