Kana Harada: a girl with a goal
In 2013, on Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido, a tiny train station, Kami-Shirataki, stood nearly forgotten. Ridership had dwindled, freight operations had stopped, and its closure seemed inevitable.
Yet, for years, one reason kept Kami-Shirataki alive: a high school girl named Kana Harada. She was the sole regular passenger, waiting daily to catch her train to school and return in the evening. Japan Railways, moved by community requests and her dedication to education, made a remarkable choice: they would keep the station open until Harada graduated.
Trains stopped just a few times a day, timed to her schedule. It wasn’t profitable, but it was meaningful. A symbol of prioritizing people over numbers. The station finally closed in 2016 only upon the student’s graduation.
Global praise and inspiration
The story went viral after CCTV News shared it, drawing praise worldwide. Kana Harada is now an artist and lives in Texas in the United States. This tale of quiet compassion, however, highlights deeper challenges. Japan’s rural railway lines are vanishing due to a shrinking population, low birth rates, and rapid urban migration.
Kami-Shirataki lies in Engaru, a town that has already lost 20 railway lines. As high-speed trains grow, many low-tech rural stations fade into memory.
However, Kami-Shirataki station’s final chapter, tied not to profits, but to one girl’s drive for knowledge and a better life, reflects a disappearing but deeply human part of Japan’s soul.
Image Credits:
https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2016/01/11/the-train-station-and-the-high-school-girl-whats-the-truth/
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