Ashinomaki-Onsen Station
Ashinomaki-Onsen Station (芦ノ牧温泉駅, Ashinomaki-Onsen-eki) is a railway station on the Aizu Railway Aizu Line in the city of Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, operated by the Aizu Railway.
Ashinomaki-Onsen Station 芦ノ牧温泉駅 | |
|---|---|
 Ashinomaki-Onsen Station in May 2010 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Oto-cho, Kamimiyori otsu 249, Aizuwakamatsu-shi, Fukushima-ken 969-5123 Japan |
| Coordinates | 37°23′44″N 139°55′56″E |
| Operated by |  Aizu Railway |
| Line(s) | ■Aizu Line |
| Distance | 10.5 km from Nishi-Wakamatsu |
| Platforms | 2 side platforms |
| Tracks | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Status | Staffed |
| Website | Official website |
| History | |
| Opened | November 1, 1927 |
| Previous names | Kami-Miyori (until 1987) |
| Location | |
  Ashinomaki-Onsen Station Location within Fukushima Prefecture  Ashinomaki-Onsen Station Ashinomaki-Onsen Station (Japan) | |
Lines
Ashinomaki-Onsen Station is served by the Aizu Line, and is located 10.5 rail kilometers from the official starting point of the line at Nishi-Wakamatsu.
Station layout
Ashinomaki-Onsen Station has two opposed unnumbered side platforms connected by a level crossing. The station is staffed.
Platforms
| station side | ■ Aizu Line | for Aizu-Tajima and Aizukōgen-Ozeguchi |
| opposite side | ■ Aizu Line | for Aizu-Wakamatsu and Kitakata |
Adjacent stations
| « | Service | » | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aizu Railway Aizu Line | ||||
| Nishi-Wakamatsu | Open-car "torokko" | Yunokami-Onsen | ||
| Amaya | Rapid | Ōkawa-Dam-Kōen | ||
| Amaya | Local | Ōkawa-Dam-Kōen | ||
Bus, Love and Peach, the station master cats
The station is home to Bus (ばす, Basu), a long-haired cat who acts as the station master in a manner similar to Tama of Kishi Station. Bus was named after the Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro.[1] Bus had been a resident of the station since June, 2000. She was appointed as the honorary stationmaster in April 2008. She had worked with a human station master and retired in December 2015. Love (らぶ, Rabu) succeeded the honorary stationmaster.[2] He started working with them from July, 2014. Bus stayed in the station also after retirement with the title of honorary stationmaster of admirable longevity. She died on April 22, 2016.[3] On October 14, 2017, Peach (ぴーち, Pichi), who is Love's younger brother, was appointed as the rail manager (Head of facilities management). He retired in March 2020. Sakura (さくら, Sakura), who is a younger sister of Love and Peach, began to work as an apprentice station staff in the spring 2020. She was appointed as an attendant on April 17, 2021. On October 5, 2022, Love died at the age of eight.
History
Ashinomaki-Onsen Station opened on November 1, 1927, as Kamimiyori Station (上三寄駅, Kamimiyori-eki). The station was renamed to its present name on July 16, 1987.
Surrounding area
National Route 118- Kamimiyori Post Office
- Ashinomaki-Onsen
See also
References
- 沿線のイベントや注目情報を、名誉駅長「ばす」がお知らせします [Honorary station manager "BASS" will inform you of event and attention information along the line]. Aizu Railway Company (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 12, 2016.
- "Stationmaster cat 'Bus' retires, new feline appointed". Mainichi Daily News. December 25, 2015.
- 車窓から四季思い出会津線 [From the train window Four seasons memories Aizu line]. aizutetsudo.jp (in Japanese).
External links
- Aizu Railway Station information (in Japanese)