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]

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

Station layout

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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

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

History

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  • 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

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  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.
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