Hokkaido: The Famous Small Station of the North

Facade of Kitahama Station

I really didn't comprehend and a bit confused at first. Why this small building which similar to a security post could become a highly sought-after destination for some tourists, as said by our local guide, Yoshie-san. The facade looked quite old but pretty decent, stands adjacent to the Sea of Okhotsk. A rusty blue signpost above the entrance door described a name, 北浜駅 Kitahama-eki (Kitahama Station).

This station was not always crowded as that day. Some travel vans parked at the front yard indicated there were group of tourists who already inside the building. Actually, it was just an ordinary small train station. There are some similar building like this along the coastline. But, Kitahama station is the most in demand by the tourists for some reason.

We entered into a tiny main room (waiting room) of the station with its size, maybe about 5x5 meters. And we found something peculiar with our sight.....