Kareigawa Station

Kareigawa Station (Kareigawa-eki) is a train station on the Hisatsu Line operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) located in Kareigawa, Hayato-cho, Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture. The station building is the oldest in the prefecture and is registered as a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property, managed by the local government. Until 2022, it was one of the few unmanned stations in the country to have a limited express train stop.

Kareigawa Station 嘉例川駅
Kareigawa Station in December 2012
General information
Location	2176 Kareigawa, Hayato Town, Kirishima City Kagoshima Prefecture Japan
Coordinates	31°49′36″N 130°43′22″E
Operated by	JR Kyushu
Line(s)	Hisatsu Line
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	1
Construction
Structure type	At grade
Other information
Website	Official website
History
Opened	15 January 1903 (1903-01-15)
Passengers
2016	73 daily
Services
Preceding station JR Kyushu Following station Kirishima-Onsen towards Yatsushiro Hisatsu Line Nakafukura towards Hayato
Location
Kareigawa Station Location within Kagoshima Prefecture Show map of Kagoshima Prefecture Kareigawa Station Kareigawa Station (Kyushu) Show map of Kyushu Kareigawa Station Kareigawa Station (Japan) Show map of Japan

The station began operation on January 15, 1903, with one stationmaster, one ticket and telegraph clerk, and five station attendants. The station was the gateway to the Myoken Onsen hot spring, and as such, it served as a hub for the transport of luggage and goods.

The station was bustling with activity, as it served as a loading and unloading point for fertilizer and crops bound for the Jusanzuka plateau until it was unmanned in 1984. In 2003, former station employees organized a 100th anniversary celebration, but JR Kyushu did not take notice due to the station's small size. Nonetheless, the celebration attracted 1,300 people, and the station was purchased by JR Kyushu in 2004 for its commemorative and cultural value. After the opening of the Kyushu Shinkansen, the limited express train "Hayato no Kaze" began stopping at the station to promote the economic benefits of the high-speed rail line.[1]