Kōfuku Station

Kōfuku Station (幸福駅, Kōfuku-eki) is a closed railway station on the defunct Hiroo Line in Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan. Now owned by the Kofuku town residents' association,[1] even after its closure in 1987, it remains a popular sightseeing spot because of its name, which means "happiness" in Japanese.[2]

Kōfuku Station

幸福駅
The station building, August 2009
General information
LocationObihiro, Hokkaido
Japan
Line(s)Hiroo Line (closed)
History
Opened1956
Closed1987

Lines

Kōfuku Station was served by the now-closed 84 km Hiroo Line between Obihiro and Hiroo Station in Hiroo, and was located 22.0 km from the starting point of the line at Obihiro.[3]

Station layout

The original station building remains standing, and many people paste business cards and messages on the walls of the waiting room, hoping for happiness.[2]

  • The former platform, with preserved rolling stock, August 2009
    The former platform, with preserved rolling stock, August 2009
  • The "Happy Bell" at the station, August 2011
    The "Happy Bell" at the station, August 2011

History

The station opened on 1 November 1956.[3] It closed in 1987 when the entire line closed just before privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR).[1]

The station become famous after it was featured on a Japanese NHK TV travel documentary programme in 1973.[1] In fiscal 2012, it was visited by about 175,000 people, making it one of the top tourist attractions in the area.[1]

The ageing station structure was scheduled to be renovated by Obihiro city government between September and November 2013, at a cost of 33 million yen.[1]

Surrounding area

The station takes its name from the name of the area in which it is located. Although the area was originally called Kōshin, it was changed to Kōfuku in around 1910 by combining the "Kō" of Kōshin with "Fuku" from Fukui, denoting the farmers from Fukui Prefecture who moved to the area around 1902 after being displaced by flooding.[2]

References
  1. Shimada, Kenichiro (31 August 2013). "Hokkaido's popular 'happiness' station to be closed for renovation". Asia & Japan Watch. Japan: The Asahi Shimbun Company. Archived from the original on 15 February 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  2. "Abandoned railway station with 'happy' name a big draw". Asia & Japan Watch. Japan: The Asahi Shimbun Company. 1 January 2012. Archived from the original on 1 January 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  3. 日本国有鉄道停車場一覧 [JNR Station Directory]. Japan: Japanese National Railways. 1985. p. 200. ISBN 4-533-00503-9.
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