Yamamoto Station, Saga

Yamamoto Station is a train station in Saga City, Saga Prefecture, operated by JR Kyushu. It is an above ground station with three tracks, two platforms (one side platform, one island platform) and a footbridge connecting them. Something that caught my attention was that it's an unmanned station with just a ticket machine.

This old wooden station building opened in 1896. So, it has been in service for over a century. I found this beautiful station when I was traveling from Imari to Saga on a local train. I had to stop there to make a train change, and I stayed in this station for a while. I was there at least forty minutes before I took the next train to Saga. But I need to say that I enjoyed every minute I spent there. These old stations have something special; when you are there you have the feeling of going back in time.

At most train stations, the one thing you are not allowed to do is to cross the tracks. However, here you have to do it using the footbridge that connects the platforms. Being in the middle of the tracks is an exciting experience.

These rural stations are quiet places where you normally have to spend some time waiting for your train. But if you are not in a hurry these places are great. You have time to talk with the locals and meet people. And why not make new friends? The atmosphere in these stations becomes less tense and relaxing, and you have time to reorganize your thoughts and meditate about your trip. As Constantine P. Cavafy reminds us in Ithaca, the important thing is the journey, not the destination. The important thing is not always to arrive, but to arrive with experience. Consider what we learn on the trip, what we discover about ourselves and others, the places we visited and the dragons we face.

Some people don’t like to travel using local trains. However I am a big fan of them. I love the experiences they enable me to live and how much I learn from them.