Where the Signals Were Worked
Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Storeroom and Lamp Room (若桜鉄道若桜駅物置及び灯室, tōshitsu) is a 1930 single-storey timber building in the yard of Wakasa Station, Wakasa Town, Tottori Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 8 July 2008.
It stands west of the station building with its ridge running north to south, covers 33 square metres, and has a sheet-metal roof. Its front faces north, toward the tracks.
The rooms explain the job. The western room stored the lamps for the signals. The eastern room once housed the signal levers that controlled the station's signals. Two storerooms fill the south side.
Why It Was Registered
The registration cites its contribution to the historic landscape, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs values the building as a way to understand how a railway station's signals used to work.
Before electric signalling, semaphore arms were pulled off by levers linked with wire, and lamps were hung on the posts at night. Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Storeroom and Lamp Room keeps the room for trimming and storing those lamps and the room for working the levers under one roof, the backstage of station operation turned into a floor plan.
What to Look For
According to the railway, one of the semaphore signals that stood in the yard is now on display inside the station building. See it there first, then look at this building, and you can connect the signal with the place it was worked from.
The building stands on the platform right next to the station building. Facing the tracks, it put the signal operator where he could watch trains and the yard.
Visiting
The interior of Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Storeroom and Lamp Room is not open. The exterior is seen from the platform and the yard.
Wakasa Station's building and waiting room are open to anyone, but the paid part of the yard, where the turntable and water tower stand, needs a yard admission ticket from the window: 300 yen, free for elementary-school children and younger. Follow staff instructions inside and keep off the tracks and any roped-off areas.
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Q&A
- What was Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Storeroom and Lamp Room used for?
- The west room stored signal lamps and the east room held the levers that controlled the station's signals. Two storerooms are on the south side.
- When was Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Storeroom and Lamp Room built?
- In 1930. It was registered as a cultural property in 2008.
- Can I go inside Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Storeroom and Lamp Room?
- No, the interior is closed. You can see the exterior from the platform and the yard.
- Where can I see the old semaphore signal at Wakasa Station?
- According to the railway, a semaphore signal once used in the yard is displayed inside the station building.
- How big is Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Storeroom and Lamp Room?
- It is a single-storey timber building of 33 square metres with a sheet-metal roof.
Basic Information
| Name | Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Storeroom and Lamp Room |
|---|---|
| Location | 345-2 Renkyōji-shimo, Wakasa, Wakasa Town, Yazu District, Tottori Prefecture, and adjoining lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2008/7/8 (Heisei 20) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, sheet-metal roof, building area 33 square metres |
| Owner | Wakasa Town |
| Public Access | Interior closed; exterior seen from the platform and yard of Wakasa Station |
References
- Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Storeroom and Lamp Room (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007288
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Wakasa Railway Co., Japanese)
- https://wakatetsu.co.jp/bunkazai
- Wakasa Railway as modern industrial heritage (Yazu Town Tourism Association, Japanese)
- https://yazukanko.jp/feature/wakasarailroad/
- C12 display runs and yard admission (Wakasa Railway Co., Japanese)
- https://wakatetsu.co.jp/c12
Last verified: 2026.09.26
