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May 2025
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Learn The Heartwarming Reason Why This Train Station Remains Open For Just One Passenger

by N/A, 9 years ago | 2 min read

Japan takes their rail system very seriously. So seriously, they've been known to put in safe transportation, for not just humans, but turtles who need passage over (rather, under) the railroads. You may have read our account of that innovative idea, but, this time, around we're talking about how Japan Railways have made an executive decision to keep one rural station running just to ensure the educational future of its lone passenger.

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This station, known as Kami-Shirataki, is located in the remote area of Engaru, Hokkaido, Japan. Demand for passengers was so low that Japan Railways have long considered shutting down its services for good.
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However, when a story came to light, they realized there was no way they could shut down the station, even with such a lack of demand, because their one, loyal passenger relied on it to get to and from school. Living in such a rural area, this train was her one ticket, so to speak, to get to and from school.

So, three years ago when the people at Japan Railways discovered her story, they decided they needed to keep Kami-Shirataki open, if only just for her–and it is only for her at this point.

Hokkaido has seen the closing of 20 rural, more traditional railways in recent years, and this particular station was next up. They then realized it was in this young student's best interest to keep the station open until her graduation which is set for this coming March.

Yes, they kept the station open for three full years just to ensure her graduation, even after they realized it wasn't economically viable for the company. The schedule is as follows: once a day to pick her up, and once a day to bring her home.

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This speaks remarkably to Japan's overall commitment to education, which is obviously paying off with a ranking of third in national average IQ scores, compared to all other nations. It's simply put, a remarkable gesture in which the Japanese government made a morally sound decision, rather than bureaucratic one.

Japan's efficient high-speed rails are slowly phasing out traditional railways, but the Kami-Shirataki serves a greater purpose than speed and convenience: the livelihood of one passenger's future.
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