By / MOOK Scenic Spots Home Travel Life Network Editorial Team compiled and reported
A station in Hokkaido, Japan, “Kamishibunai Station,” has only one passenger. Currently, it’s used by just one high school girl. However, with the girl set to graduate in spring 2016, the station will close at the end of March, officially becoming history.
Japan is abuzz over the Hokkaido station “Kamishibunai” that serves just one person (Image source: atome.naver)
In the past, Kamishibunai Station in Hokkaido was established for freight transport, but as cargo shipments gradually declined and passenger train services were reduced, almost no one used the station. In addition, the station is located in a remote area, so few people visited. As a result, Japanese media dubbed it, along with “Kami-Shirataki Station” and “Kyu-Shirataki Station,” as “stations for just one passenger.” Currently, it is used by only one female high school student, and with her set to graduate in spring 2016, the Kamishibunai Station will also be closed. Some say it's a touching story, sparking widespread discussion in Japan.
Hokkaido’s “Kamishibunai Station.” (Image source: Twitter @kokukana475)
The heartwarming story of a station opened for just one person is going viral online. (Image source / Twitter @foxnumber6)
The sparsely populated station will be officially closed in March. (Image source / Twitter @Amaris_417)
After investigation, the truth seems less heartwarming than the rumors suggest. Although “Kamishibunai Station,” “Kami-Shirataki Station,” and “Kyu-Shirataki Station” are indeed scheduled to close on March 26, the reason is not because of the female student—rather, JR Hokkaido is shutting them down for “operational rationalization.” Nevertheless, the rumor that the station was kept open for the girl continues to spark plenty of romantic imagination about this soon-to-be-closed station.