Water for the Steam Engines
Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Water Tower (若桜鉄道若桜駅給水塔, kyūsuitō) is a 1930 locomotive water tower in the yard of Wakasa Station, Wakasa Town, Tottori Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 8 July 2008.
It supplied water to steam locomotives and stands northwest of the turntable. A steel cylindrical tank sits on a reinforced-concrete base, covering 18 square metres.
A doorway on the east side leads into the base, and a ladder on the north side climbs to the top of the tank.
Why It Was Registered
The registration cites its contribution to the historic landscape. Steam engines drink as they run, and taking on water before the return trip was essential at a terminus. Together with the turntable, Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Water Tower shows that Wakasa worked as a steam terminus.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a symbol of the station and a way to understand how the old terminus functioned. Turn on the turntable, fill up at the tower, head back down the valley: the layout of the yard lets you trace the routine.
What to Look For
Among the low timber buildings of the yard, the tank on its base is the one thing you can see from a distance. Maintenance details, the north ladder and the east doorway, are clear from outside.
The turntable is just to the southeast, and C12 167, a steam locomotive that once worked the Wakasa Line, is preserved in the yard. Take in tower, turntable and engine together and it is easy to picture the tower at work.
Visiting
Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Water Tower stands in the paid yard area; its interior and top are not open. View the exterior from the area your admission ticket covers.
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.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Tottori
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Water Tower
- [ Tottori Sand Dunes & Camel Riding Experience ]
Q&A
- What was Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Water Tower for?
- It supplied water to steam locomotives. With the turntable, it shows that Wakasa was a steam-era terminus.
- When was Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Water Tower built?
- In 1930. It was registered as a cultural property in 2008.
- How is Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Water Tower built?
- A steel cylindrical tank sits on a reinforced-concrete base covering 18 square metres, with a door on the east side and a ladder on the north.
- Can I see Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Water Tower up close?
- It is in the paid yard area, open with a 300-yen admission ticket, free for elementary-school children and younger. You cannot enter or climb it.
- Where is the water tower at Wakasa Station?
- It stands northwest of the locomotive turntable in the station yard.
Basic Information
| Name | Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Water Tower |
|---|---|
| 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 structure |
| Dimensions | Reinforced-concrete base with steel tank, area 18 square metres |
| Owner | Wakasa Town |
| Public Access | Exterior seen from the paid yard area of Wakasa Station (300 yen, free for elementary-school children and younger); interior and top closed |
References
- Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Water Tower (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007293
- 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
