Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on January 2010

Name: Hatada Transformer Substation
Location: Ayagawacho, Ayauta-gun, Kagawa Prefecture
Background: This power station, the first of its kind in Japan, was constructed in 1926 using technology developed by German manufacturer Siemens. It supplied power for the Kotoden Kotohira railway line until 1980, when another substation opened in nearby Takinomiya. The exterior is smothered with ivy, although traces of black and brown paint can still be seen in winter—remnants of camouflage that the building sported during WWII. The government is reportedly considering demolishing the increasingly unstable structure, but there is a strong contingent of locals who consider it an important historical landmark.
Access: Take the Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad (Kotoden) Kotohira line from Takamatsu Chikko station to Hatada. Takamatsu is about 4.5 hours from Tokyo by shinkansen (to Okayama) and JR limited express.
Source: “Haikyo Deflation Spiral” (http://home.f01.itscom.net/spiral), a leading haikyo exploration site featuring dozens of frequently updated galleries.