Photo/Illutration Bullet marks and other traces of air raids remain on a distribution board and the wall behind it inside the former substation in Higashi-Yamato, western Tokyo. (Keiichiro Inoue)

A former electric power substation in western Tokyo damaged by air raids during World War II is drawing scores of visitors after undergoing a yearlong refurbishment.

At least 300 scars made by machine-gun bullets and bomb shrapnel remain on its interior and exterior, such as holes in the distribution board, walls and stair handrails.

The structure stands on the grounds of a park managed by the Tokyo metropolitan government in the city of Higashi-Yamato.

Children can be seen playing around the building on any given day from the doorway to the external stairway leading to the second floor.

“Many people who look at the park may imagine how it looked during the war and appreciate how peaceful it is now,” said Hirofumi Nakayama, 25, who works at the Higashi-Yamato City Museum.

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Children are seen playing in a park over the exterior wall, which was damaged by U.S. air raids, on the second floor of the former substation in Higashi-Yamato on Oct. 20. (Keiichiro Inoue)

The facility, formerly located on the premises of Hitachi Aircraft Co.’s Tachikawa factory built in 1938, transformed voltage from high to low and distributed electricity.

It was spared from collapse although 80 percent of the military aircraft engine plant was destroyed during three U.S. air raids between February and April 1945.

The substation was used until 1993 as the factory continued to operate as a machine plant.

The city government designated the structure as a cultural property in 1995 in response to requests from residents to preserve it.

“This building conveys the strenuous production efforts made in the prewar period, as well as war damage,” said Yoji Higashi, 73, who volunteers as a guide.

The second floor, which housed the main parts of the substation, was unveiled to the public for the first time on Oct. 20 after the 130 million yen ($1.14 million) repair work was completed.

It is visited by 300 people on weekdays and more than 500 on weekends.

The 2.4-meter tall, 4.8-meter-wide distribution board was used with constant updates. A low-voltage distribution board, made in 1939, was used for more than half a century.

An oil circuit breaker that switched electric currents is located in the room at the back, while there is a night-duty room for workers to operate the facility around the clock.

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The exterior of the former substation in Higashi-Yamato is riddled with bullet marks. (Keiichiro Inoue)

The repair work included preventing concrete wall surfaces from deterioration and conducting earthquake reinforcement work on pillars.

The facility’s reopening was initially scheduled for August, but it was delayed by two months due to the novel coronavirus-related state of emergency in place until the end of September.

The former substation is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Sundays. Admission is free.

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