It's a small hut, but apparently it played a very important role back then. Before electricity was used on railways, locomotives, passenger cars, and signal lights all used lamps. The explanation was clear and helpful.
It's rare to find a lamp shed that you can enter. This one is unmanned and open to the public free of charge during the day; you can open the door and enter freely. It has a two-room structure with two doors; one room depicts a realistic scene of a lamp shed from that era, and the other is an exhibition space. Apparently, the lighting on early railways wasn't electric like it is today, but entirely oil-fired lamps. That makes sense, considering it was the Meiji era when electricity wasn't yet widespread. Looking closely, the lamp light is unique, flickering gently like a candle. Since I was alone, I lost track of time for a while, captivated by the charming light.
In the adjacent exhibition space, there's an explanation of the lamp shed, along with old drawings and photographs. The photographs clearly show the lamp shed, which is quite interesting.
Incidentally, although this place is a railway-related facility in Tsuruga, it's a little distance from the Tsuruga Railway Museum. It's located behind the prominent tourist attraction, the Red Brick Warehouse, or near the second parking lot of Kanegasaki Park. In short, it's located at the entrance to Kanegasaki Castle. While it might be a bit far and difficult to find if you're mainly exploring the port area, it's a historically interesting spot, so I think it's definitely worth stopping by during your stroll.
For your reference.
If you're going to the Tsuruga Railway Museum, you should definitely stop by this place too. It has a nice, unique atmosphere.
One of the oldest railway buildings
I visited this building in early August 2024 while exploring Tsuruga.
The information board reads:
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Former Tsuruga Port Station Lamp Shed
(Kanegasaki Station Lamp Shed)
This building was completed in November 1882, the year the Tsuruga-Nagahama railway line was laid, and, along with the former Nagahama Station building, it is one of the oldest railway buildings in Japan.
The Japan Freight Railway Company donated the building to Tsuruga City on February 5, 2014, and restoration work, including restoring the tiled roof and repairing the joints, was carried out in 2014 and 2015.
The building contains two rooms, one displaying panels related to the lamp shed and the other a restored interior of the lamp shed as it was when the railway first opened.
Opening Hours:
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Closed Wednesdays and over the New Year holidays
Admission Fee:
Free
*Opening may be canceled during inclement weather.
March 1, 2023
Tsuruga City Board of Education
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The well-maintained building evokes a sense of the past, and the information boards, including the use of lamps, helped me gain a deeper understanding.
