Mooka station

[Densha]

I came across Mooka station on the Mooka line. It's one of the most architectural surprising station buildings I know of in Japan. Looking at the materials they used it looks like many modern buildings made in my home country.

Wikipedia: http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%9C%9F%E5%B2%A1%E9%A7%85

It looks like they are planning on making it a museum depot: http://blog.goo.ne.jp/d511001/e/b8b3f5c82ce84b7e167c1db224b72b5d

[Mr Frosty]

That is seriously clever and very impressive.

[wobblybob]

That is certainly eye-catching - and different! Thanks for the link.

 

Bob

[Densha]

Well, I thought it was completely different from anything Japanese I'm used to as well.

Googling "真岡駅" may result in more info/pics as well as on flickr.

 

I'm curious what's on the inside actually and what it is used for. I doubt it's just offices.

[keitaro]

Mooka railway is practically a railfan line

 

 

They run tourist rides notably c12 c11 and a few dmus

 

 

I'm sure I read somewhere and I can't find it now but the line was saved after Jr closed it by local govt and a bunch of rail fans.

 

 

You can watch a streaming video even, here I posted this link before cant miss the sl vid link http://www.moka-railway.co.jp/

 

The best is when they double head the c11 and c12 together.

[cteno4]

The Japanese do play with stations architecturally. They have so many stations though, it may seem like most are very standard, utilitarian design.

 

Jeff

[bikkuri bahn]

Not exactly my taste, as to me it borders on theme park kitsch, but if it attracts tourists and other casual visitors who come by train (i.e. more passenger revenue), great. (As a side note the Wakayama Dentetsu remodeled their Kishi Terminus due to the Tama chan boom, but apparently many visitors come by car...)

 

There are many architecturally worthy Japanese railway stations, just check recent Brunel Award winners for example (Shin-Tosu, Hyuga Shi). The original Tosu Station (still extant and in use, thankfully un-remodeled keeping its 1889 outline) is also a very good example of an old style wooden construction junction station (Nagasaki and Kagoshima Main Lines).

 

Note the above stations are all in Kyushu.  However, JR Kyushu doesn't have a perfect record in terms of architectural integrity.  Witness the demolition of the historic Nogata Station, and its replacement with a soulless storefrontlike structure, like any soba shop or souvenir outlet.  Albeit the fault lies more with the city government of Nogata, JR Kyushu was probably just following the wishes of the city.

 

 

JR Kyushu PR page, all sunshiney and positive:

http://jrkyushu.jugem.jp/?eid=323