[Hokkaido] Higashi-Kakugoe Station, a station on the Nemuro Main Line where many trains once passed (abandoned station)
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Higashi-Kagoshi Station is located in Minamifurano, Hokkaido, and was once used as a station on the Nemuro Main Line. Due to damage caused by Typhoon No. 10 in August 2016, the Higashi-Kagoshi-Shintoku section was closed, and a replacement bus was operated thereafter. Since then, with no prospect of recovery, Higashi-Kagoshi Station was closed on April 1, 2024, when the Furano-Shintoku section was abolished.  The station building is a small wooden structure, located in a natural area surrounded by Lake Kanayama. When I visited, it was functioning as a transfer hub between trains and replacement buses, and had a quiet but travel-like atmosphere. There was a bus stop in front of the station, and it played a role as a key transportation hub in the area. Just before it was abolished, many railway fans and local people came to see it for the last time. The scenery that retains the former appearance, such as the station sign, platform, and station building, is still memorable. Higashi-Kakugoe Station was a memorable place for me as it played a part in Hokkaido's railway history.