A Waiting Hut for the Pointsman
Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Former West Switchman's Hut (若桜鉄道若桜駅旧西転轍手箱番所, tentetsushu hakobansho) is a 1930 single-storey timber hut in the yard of Wakasa Station, Wakasa Town, Tottori Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 8 July 2008.
It stands at the northwest corner of the yard, about 100 metres from the station building. It covers 3.0 square metres, which the railway describes as roughly 1.7 metres square.
When the line opened, the points that switch trains between tracks were thrown by hand. This hut is where the switchman waited between trains.
Why It Was Registered
The registration cites its contribution to the historic landscape, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs values it as a building that shows how the railway used to run.
Once points were worked remotely, nobody needed to wait at the far end of a yard, and huts like this mostly disappeared. Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Former West Switchman's Hut, together with its eastern counterpart, preserves the layout of a yard where people threw the points by hand. Today it stores supplies for maintaining the points.
What to Look For
Inside there is a built-in bench, with glass windows to left and right and sliding double doors at the front. The switchman could sit and watch the track in both directions, then step straight out to the lever when a train came. The gabled roof is clad in corrugated iron.
According to the railway, the clapboard here runs horizontally, while on the eastern hut, rebuilt in 1951, it runs vertically. Compare the two and the difference is easy to spot.
Visiting
The interior of Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Former West Switchman's Hut is closed. It sits at the edge of the yard about 100 metres from the station building, so it is seen at a distance from within the station grounds.
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 Former West Switchman's Hut used for?
- It was the waiting hut for the staff member who threw the hand-operated points. There is a built-in bench inside.
- When was Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Former West Switchman's Hut built?
- In 1930, when the line opened. It was registered as a cultural property in 2008.
- How big is Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Former West Switchman's Hut?
- It covers 3.0 square metres, about 1.7 metres square according to the railway.
- How do the west and east switchman's huts at Wakasa Station differ?
- The west hut dates from 1930 and the east from 1951. According to the railway, the west hut's clapboard runs horizontally and the east hut's vertically.
- Can I visit Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Former West Switchman's Hut?
- The interior is closed. It stands at the northwest corner of the yard about 100 metres from the station building and is seen from within the station grounds.
Basic Information
| Name | Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Former West Switchman's Hut |
|---|---|
| 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 3.0 square metres |
| Owner | Wakasa Town |
| Public Access | Interior closed; exterior seen from within Wakasa Station |
References
- Wakasa Railway Wakasa Station Former West Switchman's Hut (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007289
- 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
