A Station Front Echoing the Kintaikyo Bridge
The JR Nishi-Iwakuni Station Building (ＪＲ西岩国駅駅舎) is a timber railway station of 1929 in Nishimi, Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on August 3, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building roofed in tile and partly copper, with a building area of 273 square metres and a platform canopy; registration number 35-0047.
Built as Iwakuni Station
The JR Nishi-Iwakuni Station Building was built as Iwakuni Station when the Gantoku Line opened (Agency for Cultural Affairs). JR West says the line partly opened on April 5, 1929, and the station was renamed Nishi-Iwakuni in 1942.
It is a single-storey timber building with a hipped pantiled roof and a decorative gable wall over the entrance (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The walls are rendered in mortar, with sash windows under semicircular arches set in neat rows; a platform canopy and a single-storey annex adjoin it.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes the entrance porch with 3 segmental arches and a parapet in the form of a railing, and registered the station for its contribution to the historic landscape. JR West explains that the 3 arches on the front of the porch and 1 on each side, 5 in all, evoke the Kintaikyo Bridge, and calls it a fine piece of design for a station serving a tourist area.
What to Look For
Look for the 5 arches of the entrance porch and its railing-style parapet (Agency for Cultural Affairs; JR West), and the rows of round-headed sash windows.
Visiting
According to JR West, the building was thoroughly renovated in 1979 and the station has been unstaffed since 1992. The building is owned by Iwakuni City and managed for the city by a local non-profit, which uses the interior as an exhibition space.
Q&A
- When was the station building built?
- In 1929 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What was the station originally called?
- Iwakuni Station; it was renamed Nishi-Iwakuni in 1942 (JR West).
- What should I look for?
- The 5 arches of the entrance porch, which evoke the Kintaikyo Bridge.
- Can I go inside?
- A local non-profit manages it for Iwakuni City and uses the interior as an exhibition space.
- When was the JR Nishi-Iwakuni Station Building registered?
- On August 3, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | JR Nishi-Iwakuni Station Building (ＪＲ西岩国駅駅舎) |
|---|---|
| Location | 6-15-3 Nishimi, Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/08/03 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tile and partly copper roof, 273 m², with platform canopy |
| Owner | Iwakuni City |
| Public Access | JR Gantoku Line, Nishi-Iwakuni Station (interior used for exhibitions) |
References
- JR Nishi-Iwakuni Station Building (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005668
- Nishi-Iwakuni Station Building (JR West railway heritage, Japanese)
- https://www.westjr.co.jp/railway-cultural-property/pages/00005.html
Last verified: 2026.10.19