Osa, Where the Ticket Window Survives
The Hojo Railway Osa Station Building and Platform (北条鉄道長駅本屋及びプラットホーム, Osa-eki) is a timber station built in 1915 with a stone-faced platform in Nishinagamachi, Kasai City, Hyogo Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on April 25, 2014.
The character 長 usually reads "naga" or "chō," but here it is pronounced "Osa." Osa Station lies 9.8 kilometers from Ao and 3.8 kilometers short of the Hojomachi terminus. Hojo Railway says the station opened on March 3, 1915 and turned 100 on March 3, 2015, and that it was once the shipping point for a locally produced stone the railway writes as 長石.
Office, Ticket Window, Parcels Counter
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records the Osa Station Building as a single-story timber structure; measured in traditional Ken bays, it is 5 ken long by 2 and a half ken deep, under a gabled roof, entered from the long side in the Hirairi manner. A passenger canopy 2 ken wide projects from the north side. The roof is part tile, part slate, and the building area is 60 square meters.
What the agency singles out is inside. Behind the station office survives a rest room of 4 and a half tatami mats, and the fittings of the ticket window and the parcels counter are still in place. Together they show how the building worked when it was staffed. Of the three registered stations, Osa is the only one whose national description goes into the interior.
The stone platform is 77 meters long, the longest of the three. The building and platform were registered together (registration number 28-0592) for their contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Once inside the waiting room of the Hojo Railway Osa Station Building, look for where the ticket window and the parcels counter open. Their placement records an era when tickets and luggage were handled through separate hatches.
On the platform, take in the canopy 2 ken wide on the north side and the masonry face running 77 meters along the track.
Hojo Railway issues a commemorative "longevity ticket" from Osa to Ao for 510 yen. Put together, 長 from Osa and 生 from Ao spell nagaiki, "long life," a nod to the Osa Station Building still standing in its opening-day form.
Visiting
The Hojo Railway Osa Station Building and Platform is a working station, and passengers can use the waiting room and the platform. The office and rest room are working rooms, and no public opening of them has been announced. The railway's station page lists a free car park in front; there are no steps, though there is no ramp.
A Western-style flush toilet was added at Osa in September 2013, according to Kasai City. Photograph the platform only when it will not get in the way of trains or passengers.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Hojo Railway Osa Station Building and Platform
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- How do you pronounce the name of Osa Station on the Hojo Railway?
- It is read "Osa." The national record gives the reading as Hōjō Tetsudō Osa-eki.
- When was the Hojo Railway Osa Station Building built?
- In 1915, according to the national record; the railway gives an opening date of March 3, 1915. It was registered on April 25, 2014.
- What makes the Hojo Railway Osa Station Building special?
- Its interior keeps the 4 and a half mat rest room behind the office and the fittings of the ticket window and parcels counter from its staffed days.
- How long is the platform at Osa Station?
- The stone platform is 77 meters long, the longest of the three registered stations.
- Can I visit the Hojo Railway Osa Station Building and Platform?
- Yes, as a passenger you can use the waiting room and platform. No public opening of the office rooms has been announced.
Basic Information
| Name | Hojo Railway Osa Station Building and Platform |
|---|---|
| Location | 321-2 Amada, Nishinagamachi, Kasai City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2014/4/25 (Heisei 26) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Station building: single-story timber, tile and slate roof, building area 60 square meters; platform: stone, 77 meters long |
| Owner | Hojo Railway Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Active station; waiting room and platform open to passengers |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Cultural Heritage Database: Hojo Railway Osa Station Building and Platform
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010027
- Kasai City, Koho Kasai, December 2013 (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.kasai.hyogo.jp/uploaded/attachment/6157.pdf
- Kasai City, Koho Kasai, March 2015 (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.kasai.hyogo.jp/uploaded/attachment/6350.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.08
