Kareigawa Station: A Hidden Gem & Perfect Short Trip from Kagoshima Airport
15 May 2025
If you're using Kagoshima Airport, Kareigawa Station is a fantastic place to visit and a highly recommended short trip. It's the oldest wooden station in Kyushu and is still in active service today. Being just a 10-minute bus ride from Kagoshima Airport makes it a wonderfully accessible spot for this quick and charming short trip, ideal at the beginning or end of your travels.
Although train services are infrequent, you can actually take a train from Kareigawa Station. This makes it a convenient place to visit if you plan to travel onwards to Kagoshima-Chuo Station (Kagoshima's main station) or Kirishima-Jingu Station.
Your Kareigawa Station Short Trip: Basic Information
Let's start with some basic facts for your short trip to Kareigawa Station, a truly unique place to visit.
Opened: 15th January 1903
Location: Kareigawa, Hayato-cho, Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture (You can find it on Google Maps)
Structure: Wooden, single-storey building
Access: About 10 minutes by bus from Kagoshima Airport (get off at "Kareigawa" bus stop) – perfect for a short trip!
Admission: Free to visit
Discovering Hidden Gems on Your Kareigawa Station Short Trip
The biggest charm of Kareigawa Station – a must-see place to visit – is its wonderfully nostalgic station building. There's no flashy decoration, but step inside, and you'll find yourself in a beautifully retro atmosphere, steeped in over 120 years of history. To put that into perspective, 120 years ago was Japan's Meiji era – the period following the Edo era, when Japan took great strides towards modernisation.
When I visited, it was unfortunately raining, but the damp wooden station building had an even more special atmosphere. The deep colour of the well-used timber, the moss-covered roof tiles, and the seasonal flowers like azaleas blooming around the station create a truly beautiful and welcoming scene at this memorable place to visit.
Inside the station building, it's as if time has stopped. Look up, and you'll see a high ceiling, giving you a real sense of history. Retro-designed pendant lights hang down, casting a warm glow and adding to the nostalgic mood. On the wall, an old-fashioned clock ticks away, each tick a reminder of the station's long past. The soft light coming through the wooden window frames also makes the space feel particularly beautiful. This historic station is certainly a fascinating place to visit.
The platform offers a view of a straight railway track disappearing into the lush green trees. The well-used wooden pillars and roof of the platform are also a charming part of this station's unique scenery, making it a delightful place to visit for any train enthusiast or lover of old buildings.
Near the station, there's a souvenir spot called "Kareigawa Meihin Meisan" (Kareigawa Specialty Products), selling handmade crafts by local people and local specialities – perfect for a memento of your visit. As well as the souvenir corner in the station building, there's also a café nearby, making this a convenient place to visit where you can take a break and enjoy local snacks or coffee during your short trip.
Travelling from Kareigawa Station: More Than Just a Short Trip Stop
Kareigawa Station is on JR Kyushu's Hisatsu Line. While perfect for a short trip, it can also be a starting point for further adventures. From Kareigawa Station, you can take a train to Hayato Station and change there to get to Kirishima-Jingu Station or Kagoshima-Chuo Station, which is the main station in Kagoshima City. However, please be aware that trains are not very frequent – usually only one every one or two hours. It's a good idea to check train times in advance using the JR Kyushu website, a journey planning app, or Google Maps, especially if this place to visit is part of a larger itinerary.
No Ticket Machines – Pay on the Train or When You Get Off
Kareigawa Station is an unmanned station, so there are no station staff. Furthermore, there are no ticket vending machines. When you board the train, you take a numbered ticket (called a seiri-ken). When you get off, you check the fare on the fare chart (usually displayed at the front of the train or on the platform) and pay the driver in cash using your numbered ticket. Please note that IC cards like Suica or ICOCA cannot be used, so it's best to have some change ready before you board at this unique place to visit.
The train line from Kareigawa Station is part of the JR network, so it is covered by the JR Rail Pass. For more information about the JR Pass, please see the article below.
Famous Weekend-Only Bento Boxes: A Popular Reason for a Short Trip!
On Saturdays and Sundays, special bento (boxed lunches) are sold at Kareigawa Station – for many, this is a key reason to make the short trip to this place to visit! They're called "Hyakunen no Tabi Monogatari Kareigawa" (A Hundred-Year Journey Tale: Kareigawa). This delicious bento once even won first prize in a Kyushu Ekiben ranking! They go on sale from 10 AM, but many people visit specifically for this bento, so they sell out very quickly.
What's an Ekiben? It's a special type of bento box sold at train stations or on trains in Japan. The great thing about them is that they often feature local ingredients and regional specialities.
Your Kareigawa Short Trip: A Memorable Journey Back in Time
Kareigawa Station, Kyushu's oldest active wooden station building, is a special place to visit that has warmly welcomed visitors for over 120 years, remaining unchanged by time. It might not be a big, flashy tourist spot, but it has a simple, heart-warming atmosphere that feels like a scene from Japan's past.
This memorable journey back in time is just a 10-minute "short trip" from Kagoshima Airport. So, on your next visit to Kagoshima, why not add Kareigawa Station, a truly wonderful place to visit, to your itinerary? I'm sure it will be an unforgettable experience and a highlight of your short trips in Japan.