| Kareigawa Station | |
| Native Name: | 嘉例川駅 |
| Native Name Lang: | ja |
| Symbol Location: | jp |
| Symbol: | jrk |
| Style: | JR Kyushu |
| Address: | 2176 Kareigawa, Hayato-cho, Kirishima-shi, Kagoshima-ken 899-5113 |
| Country: | Japan |
| Coordinates: | 31.8267°N 130.7228°W |
| Distance: | 112.3 km from |
| Platforms: | 1 side platform |
| Tracks: | 1 |
| Structure: | At grade |
| Status: | Instaffed |
| Passengers: | 73 daily |
| Pass Year: | 2016 |
| Map Type: | Japan Kagoshima Prefecture#Japan |
| Map Dot Label: | Kareigawa Station |
| Mapframe: | yes |
| Mapframe-Zoom: | 17 |
is a passenger railway station located in the Hayato neighborhood of the city of Kirishima, Kagoshima, Japan. It is operated by of JR Kyushu and is on the Hisatsu Line.[1]
The station is served by the Hisatsu Line and is located 112.3 km from the starting point of the line at .
The station consists of one side platform serving a single track. An island platform that is no longer in use remains opposite the single platform. The plaza in front of the station is small and poses a safety problem for buses, so with the budget of Kagoshima Prefecture's "Attractive Tourist Destination Development Project" and the burden of Kirishima City, a parking area of approximately 1,550 square meters was constructed approximately 150 meters from the station. The station is unattended.[2] [3] The wooden station building dates from the opening of the station and is the oldest in the prefecture. It is presumed that it was constructed based on the drawings for fifth-class stations, the smallest of the standard design drawings for station buildings stipulated in the "Station Ruler" of the Railway Works Bureau of the Ministry of Communications in 1900. In 2004, the former Hayato Town acquired it for protection, and in 2006 it was designated as a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property, managed by the local government.[4] Until 2022, it was one of the few unmanned stations in the country to have a limited express train stop.
The station opened on 1 January 1915 on the Kagoshima Main Line. The station was the gateway to the Myoken Onsen hot spring, and as such, it served as a hub for the transport of luggage and goods. The Yatsushiro-Yoshimatsu-Kagoshima portion of the Kagoshima Main Line was separated, becoming the Hisatsu Line on 17 October 1927. With the privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR), the successor of JGR, on 1 April 1987, the station came under the control of JR Kyushu.[5] The station was bustling with activity, as it served as a loading and unloading point for fertilizer and crops bound for the Jusanzuka plateau until it was unmanned in 1984. In 2003, former station employees organized a 100th anniversary celebration, but JR Kyushu did not take notice due to the station's small size. Nonetheless, the celebration attracted 1,300 people, and the station was purchased by JR Kyushu in 2004 for its commemorative and cultural value. After the opening of the Kyushu Shinkansen, the limited express train "Hayato no Kaze" began stopping at the station to promote the economic benefits of the high-speed rail line.[6]
In fiscal 2016, the station was used by an average of 73 passengers daily (boarding passengers only).