Completed in 1936, northern Japan’s Esashi train line ran for a scenic 42kms. Stretching from coast to coast, it served small, inland villages — offering a service that must have once been nothing short of essential. The combination of motorisation, better roads and a decreasing population, however, gradually left the route with an ever-dwindling number of passengers. A situation that meant by 2011, only 6 far from busy return services a day were in operation. And while presumably still relied upon by some, in strictly financial terms, it simply wasn’t viable. So 12 months later, the decision to close the line was announced, and on May 11, 2014, the last trains trundled along the tracks.
Fast-forward a little over 2 years, and the photographs below show what’s left: a small selection of unique, abandoned and wonderfully quaint local stations. Unfortunately a couple of them have already been destroyed or repurposed, and down to nothing but sheer good fortune, a demolition crew arrived at another one just as we had finished photographing it. There were ominous signs the rest would suffer the same fate too. So these images are a personal reminder of a wonderful day, and rather unexpectedly, also a document of what will soon sadly cease to exist.
Coli says
Gorgeous colors and great story. Did you just walk along the tracks? If so how many kms did you walk?
Lee says
Thank you!
Ideally we would have walked, but it just wasn’t possible with the distances involved. Especially so in regards where we were staying, moving on to etc. Good job in the end too, as by the time we’d have got to the station in the 5th photo, it would’ve already been demolished…
Al says
Wow! Beautiful colours. 🙂 I love some of those stations too. So sad they will disappear……… 🙁
Lee says
Thanks! Yes, it really is. Seems such a waste. Just very thankful that we got there in time. Lucky to say the least.
Mareva says
Hello Lee,
I’m new here. I love Japan and love your website too:
Photographs, stories, comments… So, I’m glad to join your Japan (online) adventure and I will check out the updates.
I live in France.
Thanks for these beautiful abandoned yet inspirational pics of an old train line.
Noticed the place is very clean.
Greetings from Paris to you and your wife.
Lee says
Thank you very much. And great to hear from you!
Yes, it was very clean. That made the demolition even sadder. Apart from the yellow station in the 3rd photo, the others looked well cared for. Such a shame they can’t stay that way…
LAObserver says
A thought provoking set and prose for sure. It makes me wonder if building materials in the future will be required with an eye on eventual recycling. Perhaps the idea of purposeful reuse will make the eventual demolition a less traumatic event.
Lee says
Thank you.
That’s a very interesting point. Would make total sense too. And yeah, if something was built with reuse in mind, its eventual disappearance would at least be expected.
cdilla says
Another beautiful collection of photographs. The blue of the sky really was stunning for you again. The creeper/vine reaching out for light look almost animated.
The fact the buildings had only been abandoned such a short times makes me think the demolition crews would have had little to do had they waited another year or two.
As with many of your Haikyo photographs, this passage from Ray Bradbury’s “Dandelion Wine” comes to mind. I hope you’ll forgive the long quote.
“The town was, after all, only a large ship filled with constantly moving survivors, bailing out the grass, chipping away the rust. Now and again a lifeboat, a shanty, kin to the mother ship, lost out to the quiet storm of seasons, sank down in silent waves of termite and ant into swallowing ravine to feel the flicker of grasshoppers rattling like dry paper in hot weeds, become soundproofed with spider dust and finally, in avalanche of shingle and tar, collapse like kindling shrines into a bonfire, which thunderstorms ignited with blue lightning, while flash-photographing the triumph of the wilderness.”
Lee says
Cheers! Yes, we got very lucky indeed. The last day of the trip was pretty much rain the whole time, but after stunning skies like these, we really couldn’t complain.
That vine was just incredible. Just beautiful. And yeah, there really didn’t seem to be a reason to demolish them so soon. A genuine shame…
Excellent. Thanks for that. A wonderful description of often equally wonderful sights.
Martin B says
Another wonderful set, this reminded me of a story from earlier this year about a railway station in Hokkaido being kept open so that a student could get to school
http://globalnews.ca/news/2451700/train-carrying-lone-girl-to-and-from-school-in-rural-japan-set-to-stop-in-march/
Sadly now closed
http://en.rocketnews24.com/2016/03/27/the-train-station-that-stayed-open-for-lone-school-girl-finally-closes-down/
Lee says
Thanks!
Ah, yes. I remember that story. Something that’s going to happen more and more unfortunately. Got to give the train companies credit for keeping the lines going for as long as they do, but eventually I guess they simply have to close.
One thing I noticed when up in Hokkaido was how almost every tiny little place had a post office. Presumably a lifeline for many. But got to wonder if they will go the same way as the transportation services too…
David Lowe says
A sad but almost inescapable reality in rural Japan these days. The part I don’t get is why local community leaders don’t have the forth sight to turns these abandoned train lines into ‘rail trails’ to promote regional tourism and encourage community engagement. They have been successful in many countries around the world and not sure why Japan hasn’t really followed suit.
Lee says
I know eh? Such a terrible waste to just demolish them. Not like the land will be used for anything else either. Admittedly it’s not near any tourist areas as such, but surely a trail through such lovely countryside would be a tourist destination in itself.
Zee says
Another haikyo! Will be looking out for the next, also the pic of that plant trailing across the floor is fantastic.
Lee says
Yes, always a treat. There will be more. Just not as often as they used to be. They sadly aren’t that easy to find.
And thanks. That was a fantastic sight. Very happy I managed to capture at least some of it’s beauty.