A Red-Brick Store at Ashio
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Ashio Station Hazardous Goods Store (わたらせ渓谷鐵道足尾駅危険品庫) is a single-storey brick store for hazardous goods built in 1914 at Kakemizu, Ashio-machi, Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 2, 2009 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey brick building with a slate roof and a building area of 5.0 square metres, registration number 09-0183.
The Ashio Copper Railway
According to Watarase Keikoku Railway, the Ashio copper mine, bought by Furukawa Ichibei in 1877, grew to produce half of Japan's copper, more than horses and a horse tramway could carry, so a railway was built from Kiryu to Ashio. The Ashio Railway opened to Omama in 1911, reached Ashio in December 1912 and was completed to Ashio Honzan in 1914. Nationalised in 1918 as the Ashio Line, it has been run by Watarase Keikoku Railway since 1989.
According to Watarase Keikoku Railway, Ashio Station opened with the Sori to Ashio section in December 1912. The Watarase Keikoku Railway Ashio Station Hazardous Goods Store lies south-west of the station building (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Value as a Registered Cultural Property
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Ashio Station Hazardous Goods Store was registered as a structure contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it is one of the few brick buildings on the line.
What to Look For
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a brick building 2.7 by 1.8 metres under a lean-to roof of corrugated slate, built to hold lamp oil and other hazardous goods, with half-brick walls in stretcher bond, corner pilasters and segmental-arched openings.
Watarase Keikoku Railway's pamphlet notes that the red-brick Watarase Keikoku Railway Ashio Station Hazardous Goods Store, at the south end of the up platform, is no longer used, but its arched door and small arched side window give it a charming design.
Visiting
The exterior of the Watarase Keikoku Railway Ashio Station Hazardous Goods Store can be seen when using Ashio Station. Watarase Keikoku Railway notes that all of its registered structures can be seen from the train.
Do not enter the tracks; view it from the train, the station or nearby roads. It is located at 2316 Kamikakemizu, Kakemizu, Ashio-machi, Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture. Of the line's 38 registered structures, the 26 in Gunma and 11 in Tochigi are gathered on the group pages Watarase Keikoku Railway (Gunma Section) and Watarase Keikoku Railway (Tochigi Section).
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Tochigi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Watarase Keikoku Railway Ashio Station Hazardous Goods Store
- [ Nikko Toshogu Shrine & Kegon Falls Day Trip ]
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1914 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is it built?
- A single-storey brick building with a slate roof and a building area of 5.0 square metres (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is special about its design?
- An arched door at the front and a small arched window on the side (Watarase Keikoku Railway).
- Where can it be seen?
- The exterior of the Watarase Keikoku Railway Ashio Station Hazardous Goods Store can be seen when using Ashio Station.
- When was the Watarase Keikoku Railway Ashio Station Hazardous Goods Store registered?
- On November 2, 2009.
Basic Information
| Name | Watarase Keikoku Railway Ashio Station Hazardous Goods Store (わたらせ渓谷鐵道足尾駅危険品庫) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2316 Kamikakemizu, Kakemizu, Ashio-machi, Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2009/11/02 (Heisei 21) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Brick, single storey, slate roof, building area 5.0 square metres |
| Owner | Not listed in the national database (line operated by Watarase Keikoku Railway Co., Ltd.) |
| Public Access | Visible when using the station or from the train |
References
- Watarase Keikoku Railway Ashio Station Hazardous Goods Store (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007844
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Watarase Keikoku Railway, in Japanese)
- https://www.watetsu.com/sightseeing/culture.php
- Pamphlet: Railway Heritage from the Train Window, map notes (Watarase Keikoku Railway, in Japanese)
- https://www.watetsu.com/assets/pdf/sightseeing/culture_yukei_des07.pdf
- History (Watarase Keikoku Railway, in Japanese)
- https://www.watetsu.com/company/history.php
Last verified: 2026.10.12
