Obasute Station

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title: "Obasute Station" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["railway-stations-in-japan-opened-in-1900", "chikuma,-nagano", "railway-stations-in-nagano-prefecture", "shinonoi-line", "stations-of-east-japan-railway-company"] description: "Railway station in Chikuma, Nagano Prefecture, Japan" topic_path: "geography/japan" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obasute_Station" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Railway station in Chikuma, Nagano Prefecture, Japan ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox station"]

Field	Value
name
Obasute Station
style	JR East
native_name	姨捨駅
native_name_lang	ja
image	Obasute-STA.jpg
caption	Obasute Station in April 2022
address	4947 Yawata-Obasute, Chikuma-shi, Nagano-ken 387-0023
country	Japan
coordinates
operator	[[File:JR logo (east).svg
line	Shinonoi Line
distance	54.2 km from
platforms	2 side platforms
tracks	2
elevation	551.2 m
code	SN13
website
opened	1 November 1900
passengers	64
pass_year	FY2018
map_type	Japan Nagano Prefecture#Japan
map_dot_label	Obasute Station
services	{{Adjacent stations
line7	Shinonoi
(limited service)	note-left7=
(limited service)	note-right7=
(limited service)
line8	Shinonoi
::

| name = Obasute Station | style = JR East | native_name = 姨捨駅 | native_name_lang = ja | type = | image = Obasute-STA.jpg | alt = | caption = Obasute Station in April 2022 | other_name = | address = 4947 Yawata-Obasute, Chikuma-shi, Nagano-ken 387-0023 | country = Japan | coordinates = | operator = [[File:JR logo (east).svg|20px]] JR East | line = Shinonoi Line | distance = 54.2 km from | platforms = 2 side platforms | tracks = 2 | connections = | elevation = 551.2 m | structure = | code = SN13 | website = | opened = 1 November 1900 | rebuilt = | closed = | former = | passengers = 64 | pass_year = FY2018 | map_type = Japan Nagano Prefecture#Japan | map_dot_label = Obasute Station | services = {{Adjacent stations|system=JR East |line7=Shinonoi|left7=Kamuriki|right7=Inariyama|note-mid7=Rapid (limited service)|note-left7= (limited service)|note-right7= (limited service) |line8=Shinonoi|left8=Kamuriki|right8=Inariyama|note-mid8=Local & Rapid Misuzu|note-left8=|note-right8=}} Obasute Station is a railway station on the Shinonoi Line in the city of Chikuma, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East).

Lines

Obasute Station, which is served by trains on the Shinonoi Line, is located 54.2 km (33.7 miles) from the terminus of the line at Shiojiri Station.

Station layout

The station, which is unattended, is situated on a switchback, and has two side platforms connected by a footbridge. The station building is on the south platform. Through passenger trains not booked to call at Obasute do not use the switchback; however, freight trains make use of it if booked to cross a passenger service at this point.

Platforms

File:Obasute station platform.jpg|The dead-end station tracks on the switchback (left), with the main line seen descending towards Shinanoi on the right File:Scene of Obasute Station.jpg|The view over the Zenkoji Plain from the station platforms File:Obasute Station Sign.jpg|Station platform sign displaying the switchback layout

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Obasute_Station_opening.jpg" caption="The station on its opening-day in 1900"] ::

The station opened on 1 November 1900. With the privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR) on 1 April 1987, the station came under the control of JR East.

The station is named after nearby Mt. Ubasute, which in turn is named after the possibly mythical practice of ubasute, abandoning elderly relatives in the mountains to die.

Station numbering was introduced on the line from February 2025, with the station being assigned number SN13.

Tourism developments

Although the station itself is unstaffed, local volunteers serve tea at weekends to the many tourists who visit for the express purpose of enjoying the extensive views over the Zenkoji Plain which are to be had from the northern platform. Additionally, since 2017 Obasute station has been a calling-point on the route of the luxury Shiki-Shima cruise train, which stops here overnight at the end of the first day of the spring and autumn 2-day cruises. In connection with this traffic an evening bar has been built on the station's south platform for the use of the cruise passengers and a viewing area provided on the north platform.

Passenger statistics

In the fiscal year 2018, the average daily number of passengers starting their journeys at Obasute was 64.

References

References

1. (2011). "Nagano Prefecture All Railway Stations, revised edition (長野県鉄道全駅 増補改訂版)". Shinano Mainichi Shinbun Publishing.
2. JTB. (1998)
3. (13 December 2024). "ＪＲ東日本長野支社管内へ「駅ナンバリング」を拡大します".
4. link. (10 May 2016). News release. East Japan Railway Company
5. "各駅の乗車人員 2018年度 ベスト100以外（8）：Jr東日本".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::