I can add Hita train station, northern Kyushu, Japan, to my “delighted” list.
By any standards, it’s a small station. A single train track enters town, and a single track leaves town. At Hita station, the track fans out into multiple tracks, more than enough to handle the three platforms and the boarding of an average of three country trains an hour.
This is a beautiful space. The ceiling is finished: it’s not a thrown-up drop ceiling.
My preferred seat was at the window, staring out at the three platforms. Others preferred the low surfaces in the middle that serve as benches and tables. Travelers could dump themselves and their bags on the same surface, then sort themselves out.
But, for me, the real kicker was the inner sanctum beyond the sliding doors you can see at the back in the above photograph.
This isolated space is for everyone.
Thanks for sharing your photos of the station. My favorite is the children's table and model train. I'm not sure the train cars would last a single day in our town.
Yes, it's very different. Note the wall of books: that isn't a decoration: they're real books, including children's books. Kids might actually read something, because there are no video monitors.