A Station as Old as the Line
The Hojo Railway Hokkeguchi Station Building and Platform (北条鉄道法華口駅本屋及びプラットホーム, Hokkeguchi-eki) is a timber station built in 1915 with a stone-faced platform in Higashikasaharacho, Kasai City, Hyogo Prefecture; renovated in 2012, it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on April 25, 2014.
Hokkeguchi lies 6.1 kilometers up the line from Ao, roughly midway along the Hojo Railway, and has no staff. Its name means "the Hokke entrance": this was the stop for pilgrims heading to Ichijoji, the temple on Mount Hokke about 5 kilometers away, and the railway still describes the station as the temple's gateway. Kasai City calls it one of the Banshu Railway's main points for passengers and freight when the line opened in 1915.
The Largest of the Three
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the Hokkeguchi Station Building as a single-story timber structure; measured in traditional Ken bays, it is 6 ken long by 2 and a half ken deep, under a gabled roof, with the entrance on the long side in the Hirairi manner. A small annex is attached to the west gable end, and a passenger canopy projects from the north side. The roof is part tile, part slate, and the building area of 85 square meters makes it the largest of the three registered station buildings on the line.
The platform is built of stone and runs 67 meters. The agency registered the pair together (registration number 28-0589) for the way the masonry platform and the building combine into a historic railway scene.
The date column of the national record also notes a renovation in 2012. According to a presentation the railway gave to a Hyogo Prefecture meeting, that same year a social welfare corporation refitted the building to house a bakery workshop called Mon Favori. The 1915 station had taken on a new use two years before it was registered.
What to Look For
From the forecourt, compare the annex tucked against the west gable with the canopy reaching out on the north side. Those two additions give the plain gabled block its outline.
Up on the platform, the masonry face runs a long way down the track. Hokkeguchi is where the railway installed a passing loop, and since September 1, 2020 the timetable has had two trains meeting here in the morning and evening peaks, according to the Hyogo Prefecture document. A platform laid out in 1915 now hosts the line's crossing moves.
On the east side of the station stands the Hojo Railway Hokkeguchi Station Toilet, registered at the same time and facing west. The railway says the station draws crowds of photographers in spring, when cherry blossoms frame the building and the trains.
Visiting
The Hojo Railway Hokkeguchi Station Building and Platform is a working station, and travelers using the trains can enter both the building and the platform. The railway's station page lists a free car park in front, and the station has a ramp with no steps.
The bakery that moved into the building in 2012 keeps its own hours, separate from the train service, so check before you count on it. Photography on the platform is fine as long as you stay out of the way of trains and passengers.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Hojo Railway Hokkeguchi Station Building and Platform
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- When was the Hojo Railway Hokkeguchi Station Building built?
- The national record dates it to 1915, with a renovation in 2012. It was registered on April 25, 2014.
- How big are the Hokkeguchi Station building and platform?
- The single-story timber building covers 85 square meters, and the stone-faced platform is 67 meters long.
- Can visitors go inside the Hojo Railway Hokkeguchi Station Building and Platform?
- Yes. It is an active station, and passengers can use both the building and the platform.
- Is there parking at Hokkeguchi Station?
- According to Hojo Railway, there is a free car park in front of the station.
- Why is it called Hokkeguchi Station?
- It was the stop for Ichijoji on Mount Hokke, about 5 kilometers away; the name means "the Hokke entrance."
Basic Information
| Name | Hojo Railway Hokkeguchi Station Building and Platform |
|---|---|
| Location | 245-2 Oki, Higashikasaharacho, 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 85 square meters; platform: stone, 67 meters long |
| Owner | Hojo Railway Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Active station; building and platform open to passengers |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Cultural Heritage Database: Hojo Railway Hokkeguchi Station Building and Platform
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010024
- Kasai City, Koho Kasai, December 2013 (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.kasai.hyogo.jp/uploaded/attachment/6157.pdf
- Hyogo Prefecture, Hojo Railway Today and Tomorrow, July 18, 2023 (in Japanese)
- https://web.pref.hyogo.lg.jp/kk05/documents/06siryou30718.pdf
- Kinki District Transport Bureau, Hojo Railway Revitalization Efforts, December 11, 2015 (in Japanese)
- https://wwwtb.mlit.go.jp/kinki/content/000010178.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.08
