02/07/2025
In Hokkaido, Japan, a remote train station called Kyu-Shirataki was scheduled to close due to extremely low ridership. But when railway officials discovered that one high school student, Kana Harada, relied on the train to commute to school, they made a remarkable decision: they kept the station open just for her.
As reported by Global Citizen and GMA News, the train stopped at the station only a few times a day, and only two of those times matched Kana’s school schedule. She couldn’t stay after school or join extracurriculars, sometimes she had to run just to catch the last train home. But it was her only viable option; without it, she would have faced a 73-minute walk to the nearest express line.
The railway company, JR Hokkaido, honored her need for education and kept the station running until she graduated in March 2016. The day after her final commute, the station, after 69 years of service, was officially closed. It’s a powerful reminder that even in a world driven by efficiency and profit, compassion and community still matter.
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