The Nishi-Kiga Station Building
The Tenryu Hamanako Railway Nishi-Kiga Station Building (天竜浜名湖鉄道西気賀駅本屋) is a wooden station building of 1938 on the Tenryu Hamanako Railway at Nishi-Kiga Station in Hamana 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 single-storey timber building of 106 square metres, roofed in tile and partly in slate, altered in 1989; registration number 22-0147.
A Small Station with Period Charm
The building lies about 7.9 kilometres east of Mikkabi Station and faces south; it is 14 by 8.8 metres, single-storey and timber, with a hipped tiled roof and a slate platform canopy (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
According to the railway, the roof is of red Western-style tiles, and the canopy at the south-east corner rests on trussed steel brackets. The original pairs of hanging wooden sliding doors survive at the entrance and on the platform side, and a built-in bench runs the length of the waiting room's east wall. When the station opened, it is said to have looked out over Lake Hamana.
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 the steel brackets of the entrance canopy and the wooden bench and ticket gate in the waiting room convey the atmosphere of the past.
What to Look For
Look for the steel brackets under the entrance canopy, the original hanging wooden doors, and the built-in bench and wooden ticket gate of the waiting room (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Tenryu Hamanako Railway).
Visiting
Nishi-Kiga is a working station, so the building and shelter can be seen when you travel by train. Nishi-Kiga Station is unstaffed (Tenryu Hamanako Railway). The old Himekaido road is about five minutes away (Tenryu Hamanako Railway). Tickets, fares and the turntable tour are covered on the Tenryu Hamanako Railway page. Do not enter the tracks or railway land.
The Kita Ward of Hamamatsu named in the Agency's record became part of Hamana Ward when the city reorganised its wards on January 1, 2024; town names and lot numbers did not change (Hamamatsu City).
Q&A
- When was the Tenryu Hamanako Railway Nishi-Kiga Station Building built?
- In 1938, altered in 1989 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is the Tenryu Hamanako Railway Nishi-Kiga Station Building?
- At Nishi-Kiga Station in Hosoe-cho, Hamana Ward, Hamamatsu.
- What should I look for?
- The steel canopy brackets and the wooden bench and ticket gate.
- Can I visit the Tenryu Hamanako Railway Nishi-Kiga Station Building?
- Yes; it is a working, unstaffed station.
- When was the Tenryu Hamanako Railway Nishi-Kiga Station Building registered?
- On January 26, 2011 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Tenryu Hamanako Railway Nishi-Kiga Station Building (天竜浜名湖鉄道西気賀駅本屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 10185-3 Kiga, Hosoe-cho, Kita Ward, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2011/01/26 (Heisei 23) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tile and part slate roof, 106 m² |
| Owner | Tenryu Hamanako Railway Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | In use as a station (unstaffed) |
References
- Tenryu Hamanako Railway Nishi-Kiga Station Building (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00008463
- Cultural Properties along the Line (Tenryu Hamanako Railway, Japanese)
- https://www.tenhama.co.jp/spot/bunkazai/
- Nishi-Kiga Station (Tenryu Hamanako Railway, Japanese)
- https://www.tenhama.co.jp/about/station/nishikiga/
- Ward Reorganisation (Hamamatsu City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.hamamatsu.shizuoka.jp/kikaku/kuseido/index.html
Last verified: 2026.10.14
