The Depot Elevated Water Tank
The Tenryu Hamanako Railway Depot Elevated Water Tank (天竜浜名湖鉄道運転区高架貯水槽) is a reinforced concrete elevated water tank of about 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 January 26, 2011 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a reinforced concrete structure covering 28 square metres; registration number 22-0166.
Water for the Steam Locomotives
The tank stands about 20 metres east of the pump house: six concrete legs carry a concrete tank 6 metres across holding 70 tonnes (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Parts of the pump and piping remain between the legs.
According to the railway, the whole structure is 11.6 metres high. No record gives its date, but it appears in a photograph of 1940, showing it was ready for the opening. The extra concrete around the legs up to 3.94 metres is said to be strengthening after the Tonankai earthquake of 1944.
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, with the pump house, it tells part of the story of railway facilities in the early Showa era.
What to Look For
Look for the round tank on its six legs, the pump and pipework between them and the thickened concrete at the base added after the earthquake (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Tenryu Hamanako Railway).
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 Elevated Water Tank built?
- About 1940 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is the Tenryu Hamanako Railway Depot Elevated Water Tank?
- In the Tenryu-Futamata Station yard, about 20 metres east of the pump house.
- What should I look for?
- A round 70-tonne tank on six concrete legs.
- Can I visit the Tenryu Hamanako Railway Depot Elevated Water Tank?
- 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 Elevated Water Tank registered?
- On January 26, 2011 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Tenryu Hamanako Railway Depot Elevated Water Tank (天竜浜名湖鉄道運転区高架貯水槽) |
|---|---|
| Location | 230-2 Akura, Futamata-cho, Tenryu Ward, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2011/01/26 (Heisei 23) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, 28 m² |
| Owner | Tenryu Hamanako Railway Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | In the Tenryu-Futamata Station yard (shown on guided tours) |
References
- Tenryu Hamanako Railway Depot Elevated Water Tank (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00008482
- 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
