Will the Former Matsushiro Station Building Be Preserved?
Yesterday (February 14), the Shinano Mainichi Shimbun published an article titled “Nagano City to Preserve Former Matsushiro Station Building.”
According to the article, Nagano City, which had previously planned to demolish the former Matsushiro station building, has now shifted its stance toward preserving it.
It seems the city changed its policy after receiving proposals from multiple private businesses for utilizing the station building. Details are still under consideration, so nothing definitive can be said yet, but it seems relocation of the station building is also being explored.
I believe buildings only demonstrate their value when they are used, so I’m not advocating preservation at any cost. There are examples where people clamored to preserve buildings even though no one was willing to manage them, and the result was neglect and ruin. Therefore, I want to prioritize ensuring the old station building is properly utilized as a structure.
Whether the operator is public or private, if the building can generate profit through use, that’s ideal, and those who want to preserve it would likely be pleased too. (Even after the demolition plan was announced, a petition drive by concerned residents requesting a delay continued.)
However, in reality, generating profit is often difficult. If profit becomes the sole criterion, the preservation of history and culture risks being neglected.
Since taking over the former Yashiro Line site and buildings, Nagano City has given the impression of making empty promises about developing a park or creating a museum, ultimately leaving it to the local community and neglecting it. If these are unrealistic plans that can’t be achieved, I think it would be better not to announce them lightly.
It’s just my speculation, but I guess the utilization of Matsushiro Station will be entirely outsourced to private operators. Since Nagano City never seemed particularly interested in the station building itself, I imagine they’ll have the operators slightly relocate the station structure, allowing the city to focus on developing Matsushiro Castle, which is what they truly want to prioritize. I think it feels odd that only things from the Edo period or earlier are treated as “history worth preserving.”
A public meeting for local residents is scheduled for Saturday, March 7th in Matsushiro, where proposals for utilization and progress updates will be presented. Unfortunately, participation is limited to residents of the Matsushiro area, so I don’t seem to qualify.
According to newspaper reports, Nagano City plans to “present a new proposal that balances the improvement of local roads with the preservation of the station building.” I sincerely hope this proposal is feasible and gains the residents’ support.
[Related articles]
"Former Matsushiro Station Building" (2025-05-05)
"Railway in Matsushiro Town" (2025-05-06)
"Shinano-kawada Station" (2025-05-07)