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Japanese train station stirs up nostalgia with beautiful rural setting and one-carriage train

Oona McGee Feb 23, 2018
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A stop-off here is like a scene from an anime movie.

For people living in crowded cities in Japan, nothing tugs at the heartstrings more than a picturesque image of a tiny train station in the middle of the countryside. When it comes with an unmanned wooden building and a single-carriage train that quietly shuttles people back and forth, the wave of nostalgia becomes so intense that it’s almost too beautiful to bear.

One such train station has come to everyone’s attention in Japan recently, thanks to updates on social media, like this tweet from Twitter user @enuenuenubi.

久しぶりに感動した駅、因美線知和駅。あまりにも渋い、渋すぎる。こんなん確実に昭和のベッタベタな青春ラブストーリーに使われる奴じゃないですか。 pic.twitter.com/MtBiBNSNYB

— えぬびい (@enuenuenubi) December 26, 2017

The beautiful images show a day in the life of Chiwa Station, which sits on the Inbi Line in Okayama Prefecture.

Surrounded by nature and wildlife, the station building itself is filled with remnants from yesteryear, charming everybody who lays eyes on it. Dating back to 1931, when the station first opened, the wooden building still stands as it did so many decades ago, like a museum dedicated to preserving a sense of travel during the Showa Period (1926-1989).

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A post shared by よし (@yoshi_panorama)

To see just how peaceful and beautiful the train station is, check out this relaxing video below:

In the video, the one-carriage train can be seen stopping quietly at the station, picking up local passengers with only five Tottori, Chizu-bound trains per day, and six services running to Tsuyama.

Both services depart from the same platform, which is unmanned and has no automatic ticket vending machines.

Stepping inside the station building is like stepping back in time to the Showa Era, with an old phone and wooden furniture adding to the nostalgic atmosphere.

While the video was shot during the warmer months of the year, during winter the station looks equally beautiful under a blanket of snow.

因美線　知和駅 pic.twitter.com/VF03dmqtUc

— どーらく (@df5066) February 13, 2018

People travel from all around Japan to spend some time here, discovering all the little details inside the station while soaking up the rural atmosphere.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZdpwQRDGFg/?hl=en&tagged=知和駅

While Japan’s bustling cities have a lot to offer, towns in the countryside – and their tranquil train stations – often have a magical quality of their own, which makes them look like they’ve jumped straight out of an anime movie.

If you ever find yourself down Okayama way, be sure to hop on the train for a ride through the picturesque countryside. You might want to enjoy it while it lasts, though, because if this “time-travelling” Twitter user’s prediction is correct, the Japanese capital will be moving from Tokyo to Okayama by 2075.

Source, images: YouTube/oht3236