The Depot Bathhouse
The Tenryu Hamanako Railway Depot Bathhouse (天竜浜名湖鉄道運転区浴場) is a wooden bathhouse of 1940 on the Tenryu Hamanako Railway in the yard of Tenryu-Futamata Station in Tenryu Ward, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on December 11, 1998 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building of 96 square metres with a tiled roof; registration number 22-0036.
A Bathhouse for Steam Crews
The bathhouse stands parallel to and behind the office and has three rooms: a laundry, a changing room and the bath (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The bath room has a large tub in the centre and a small one in the corner, with hot water channelled around them.
According to the railway, it lines up with the office and is linked to it by a roofed passage.
Why It Was Registered
It was registered under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Agency notes that a bathhouse was essential at a steam engine depot and that the building is key to understanding how the depot worked.
What to Look For
Look for the large central tub, the small corner tub and the channel of hot water around them (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It stands in the yard of Tenryu-Futamata Station and is normally closed to the public. The railway runs daytime turntable tours; a 2021 Hamamatsu City article describes a daily guided tour of about 40 minutes that takes visitors past the turntable, the roundhouse and the depot buildings. Tickets, fares and the turntable tour are covered on the Tenryu Hamanako Railway page. Do not enter the tracks or railway land.
Q&A
- When was the Tenryu Hamanako Railway Depot Bathhouse built?
- In 1940 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is the Tenryu Hamanako Railway Depot Bathhouse?
- In the Tenryu-Futamata Station yard, behind the depot office.
- What should I look for?
- The large and small tubs with hot water flowing around them.
- Can I visit the Tenryu Hamanako Railway Depot Bathhouse?
- Not normally, but it is shown on the turntable tours at Tenryu-Futamata Station (Tenryu Hamanako Railway, Hamamatsu City).
- When was the Tenryu Hamanako Railway Depot Bathhouse registered?
- On December 11, 1998 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Tenryu Hamanako Railway Depot Bathhouse (天竜浜名湖鉄道運転区浴場) |
|---|---|
| Location | 230-2 Akura, Futamata-cho, Tenryu Ward, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/12/11 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof, 96 m² |
| Owner | Tenryu Hamanako Railway Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | In the Tenryu-Futamata Station yard (shown on guided tours) |
References
- Tenryu Hamanako Railway Depot Bathhouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000967
- Cultural Properties along the Line (Tenryu Hamanako Railway, Japanese)
- https://www.tenhama.co.jp/spot/bunkazai/
- Tenryu-Futamata Station (Tenryu Hamanako Railway, Japanese)
- https://www.tenhama.co.jp/about/station/tenryufutamata/
- Turntable tour at Tenryu-Futamata Station (Hamamatsu City Tenryu Ward, Japanese)
- https://www.city.hamamatsu.shizuoka.jp/tn-shinko/dekigoto/r0730_dekigoto.html
Last verified: 2026.10.14
