A Gravel Platform of 1912
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Ashio Station Down Platform (わたらせ渓谷鐵道足尾駅下り線プラットホーム) is a stone down platform of Ashio Station opened in 1912 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 stone platform 109 metres long, registration number 09-0181.
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 Down Platform lies north-west of the station building (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Value as a Registered Cultural Property
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Ashio Station Down Platform was registered as a structure contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that, with its gravel surface, it keeps its original form, and that the three surviving platforms recall the station's busy past.
What to Look For
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a 109-metre platform faced on the south in three courses of squared stone, ramped for 4.3 metres at each end.
Watarase Keikoku Railway's pamphlet notes that the Watarase Keikoku Railway Ashio Station Down Platform serves Mato-bound trains and, like the up platform, has split-stone walls; its surface is still entirely gravel, making it the best-preserved platform on the old Ashio Railway.
Visiting
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Ashio Station Down Platform 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 Down Platform
- [ Nikko Toshogu Shrine & Kegon Falls Day Trip ]
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1912 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is it built?
- A stone platform 109 metres long (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Why is it valuable?
- Its surface is still all gravel, the most original of the old Ashio Railway's platforms (Watarase Keikoku Railway).
- Where can it be seen?
- The Watarase Keikoku Railway Ashio Station Down Platform can be seen when using Ashio Station.
- When was the Watarase Keikoku Railway Ashio Station Down Platform registered?
- On November 2, 2009.
Basic Information
| Name | Watarase Keikoku Railway Ashio Station Down Platform (わたらせ渓谷鐵道足尾駅下り線プラットホーム) |
|---|---|
| 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 structure |
| Dimensions | Stone, length 109 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 Down Platform (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007842
- 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_des06.pdf
- History (Watarase Keikoku Railway, in Japanese)
- https://www.watetsu.com/company/history.php
Last verified: 2026.10.12
