A Journey to the Most Isolated Train Station in Japan

"I'm not interested in the scenery," Mr Takahashi observes, just as a picture-perfect Mount Yotei comes into view. Enthusiastically, the other train passengers get up from their seats and move to the door area for a better photo angle. But the pensioner from Tokyo is unmoved. 

He does not even look out the window to notice that the dozens of people outside are busy taking photos of the train as it passes through a field of potatoes. Hokkaido's famous mountain towers in the background.

Despite his obvious lack of interest in nature's beauty, Mr Takahashi has come well prepared for his journey. Decked out with an impressive volume containing the Japan Railways (JR) timetable, a map, and magnifying glasses, he is a train travel pro. 

"My eyesight is not what it used to be at 70," he complains mildly. He has come down from Wakkanai on the northern tip of Hokkaido on the Sea of Japan. Now, he is on his way to Oshamambe, a small and sleepy town almost at the opposite end of Hokkaido. His mission is to visit Japan's most isolated train station. 

For this purpose, he has brought along a map of the best 100. Unsurprisingly, Hokkaido features heavily on it. With only five million inhabitants on an island the size of Ireland, there is enough space for remote spots. 

Between Two Tunnels

Mr Takahashi is on his way to Koboro, a miracle of a train station on the Muroran Main Line. Koboro leads the list of Japan's most secluded stations also known as hikyo-eki (秘境駅). It is a tiny spot between two tunnels with no access road, close to the ocean but not directly on the coastline.

It is unclear why a train would even stop there. Of the five passengers who use the station in a single day on average, almost all come specifically to see the station.

Hokkaido's railway network grew in the 19th and 20th centuries out of the quest to exploit natural resources, like coal, ore, sulfur, and lumber. It was also developed as a transport network ready to employ the military against threats from Russia. Times have now changed, and train lines are shrinking and stations are closing down every year. 

Nobody Lives There Anymore

Koboro Station opened in 1943 as a signal station during World War II when more trains were needed to carry ammunition and other army supplies. In the 1960s and 70s, the area had a small settlement with a campground and a seaside resort. Nowadays, nobody lives even close to the station. Only the local train stops six times per day.

The station is just a grassy stretch of 80 meters wedged in between two tunnels. On three sides it is surrounded by steep wooded cliffs. On its fourth side toward Uchiura Bay is a steep, unmaintained path through the forest that leads down to the beach. There is no station building, only a small storage shed and a bio-toilet stand on the premises. 

Trainspotter's Delight

For the most isolated train station in Japan, the place is pretty crowded on a Saturday afternoon. A dozen people are waiting on the platform next to the track to board the arriving single rail car: train spotters with heavy cameras, tourists, and families on a weekend outing.

While Mr Takahashi stays on board, Dan, a man from Osaka, is getting off for his third visit. He has brought a tent and plans to stay the night at the beach. The 61-year-old has come to enjoy the solitude Koboro certainly has to offer. "Only the bears," he says pensively. "In Osaka, I really never had to care about them while camping."

Closing Considered

JR Hokkaido had considered closing the station in 2015. The nearby town of Toyoura, however, objected because it did not want to lose its tourist attraction. Now the local government is helping to fund the station's maintenance. 

The town likes to promote the station, but also needs to keep people safe. Getting to the nearest road on foot means climbing straight up the mountain on the northern side of the station, crossing countless streams, and navigating a way through dense forest and over slippery rocks. 

It takes about half an hour to finally reach the safe concrete of Route 37, but it is not advisable. "Beware of bears," warns a sign that the city has put up to deter the undeterred. There are also no buses running on Route 37 and the next town is a two-hour walk away passing through tunnels. 

Therefore, getting stuck in Koboro is not an option. In 2016, the station made the news when two visitors were accidentally left behind after the last local train on the line missed the stop. 

Because it was winter and already dark, JR Hokkaido decided the best move would be to ask the limited express from Hakodate to Sapporo to pick up the two stranded passengers. It might have been the only time that the Super Hokuto service made a stop in the middle of nowhere.

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Author: Agnes Tandler

Find other essays and articles by Agnes Tandler on JAPAN Forward.