Aso-Shimodajyō Station

Aso-Shimodajyō Station

阿蘇下田城駅
Aso-Shimodajo-Fureai-Onsen Station
Station entrance in 2006
General information
LocationOaza Koyo, Minamiaso Village, Aso County, Kumamoto Prefecture
Japan
Coordinates32°50′40″N 131°01′29″E / 32.84435°N 131.02475°E / 32.84435; 131.02475
Line(s)■ Takamori Line
Distance7.2 km (from Tateno Station)
Tracks1
Train operatorsMinamiaso Railway
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Other information
StatusUnmanned
Websitehttps://www.mt-torokko.com/information/route/aso-shimoda/
History
Opened1928
Services
Preceding station Mimamiaso Railway Following station
Kase
towards Tateno
 Takamori Line Minamiaso Mizu-no-Umareru-Sato Hakusui-Kōgen
towards Takamori
Location
Map
Back of station

Aso-Shimodajyō Station (阿蘇下田城駅, あそしもだじょうえき) is a railway station on the Minamiaso Railway Takamori Line in Minamiaso Village, Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.[1] The station's former name (Aso Shimodajō Fureai Onsen) when written in kana has 16 characters, making it the fifth longest station name in Japan, along with Yanagawa Kibōnomori Kōen-mae Station on the Abukuma Express Line.[2] The station was renamed to Aso-Shimodajyō Station in July 2023, as the hot spring facilities at the station were shut down.[3]

Station layout

The station is unmanned, and has a single platform with one track. The station building has a castle-like appearance, reminiscent of Shimoda Castle, which was located in the vicinity during the Tensho era. Aso-Shimodajō Station used to have a mineral-free, indoor onsen, but it was shut down in 2016 due to damage caused by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake.

Usage

Year Average daily passengers
2011 37
2012 43
2013 36
2014 31
2015 23
2016 Service stopped

History

  • February 12, 1928 - opened as Aso-Shimoda Station (阿蘇下田駅).
  • February 20, 1971 - the station became unmanned.
  • April 1, 1986 - the Minamiaso Railway company took over operation of the Takamori line from Japanese National Railways.
  • August 1, 1993 - the station was renamed Aso-Shimodajō-Fureai-Onsen Station (阿蘇下田城ふれあい温泉駅). A new station building with hot spring facilities was completed.
  • April 14–16, 2016 - the Kumamoto Earthquake caused damage to bridges and tunnels on the Takamori line, and operations were suspended.[4]
  • July 15, 2023 - The portion of the Minami Aso Railway Takamori Line between Tateno and Nakamatsu has been restored and all lines have resumed operation. The station name was changed to Aso-Shimodajyō Station (阿蘇下田城駅). [5]

References

  1. ^ "阿蘇下田城｜南阿蘇鉄道" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  2. ^ "阿蘇下田城ふれあい温泉駅 | 動画で見るニッポンみちしる | NHKアーカイブス". 動画で見るニッポンみちしる～新日本風土記アーカイブス～. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  3. ^ "阿蘇下田城ふれあい温泉が阿蘇下田城に改称される｜鉄道ニュース｜2023年7月16日掲載｜鉄道ファン・railf.jp". 鉄道ファン・railf.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-09-12.
  4. ^ "南阿蘇鉄道の全線復旧は「5年程度」「65億円」…国交省が試算". レスポンス（Response.jp） (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  5. ^ "July 15 Timetable revision (all lines resume operation)". Minami Aso Railway. 19 May 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.