7 most beautiful train stations in Japan

You’ll be guaranteed stunning sea views from the striking Hitachi Station, which looks like a glass box jutting out over a small cliff. The station building was completed in 2012 and designed by Japanese architect Kazuyo Sejima, who was born in Hitachi city. It’s a bright, airy building that will make you wish for a train delay just so you can admire those Pacific Ocean views a while longer.

You can reach Hitachi Station in around 90 minutes from Ueno Station via the Limited Express Hitachi service. To make a day of it, stop by Hitachi Seaside Park, which is famous for its seasonal flowers like nemophila, roses and kochia bushes. Take the JR Joban line from Hitachi to Katsuta (around 30 minutes) and catch the bus from stop No 2 at Katsuta Station’s east exit to reach the park.

Not only is Tokyo Station one of the city’s biggest stations, but it’s also one of the most architecturally pleasing. You might find that hard to believe while trapped in the never-ending warren of underground passageways, but exit from the Marunouchi side and you’ll see the station’s best face.

Opened in 1914, the stunning Marunouchi Station Building is one of Tokyo’s most distinctive structures with its red brick facade. Despite suffering damage during World War II, the building has been carefully restored and preserved, and is now recognised as an important cultural property of Japan.

There are three ticket gates in the Marunouchi Station Building, with English-language tourist services available at the Marunouchi North Gate. While here, don’t forget to look up and admire the beautiful domed roof decorated with sculptures depicting the signs of the zodiac.

Kanazawa is known for its ancient temples, historical districts and traditional Japanese gardens, but your introduction to the city will be far more modern. Kanazawa Station was remodelled in 2005 and is now defined by a huge glass structure known as the ‘Motenashi Dome’ (motenashi means hospitality in Japanese). Not only is this glass dome an amazing piece of architecture, but it also extends out to cover the taxi ranks and bus stops – a necessity during winter when Kanazawa receives heavy snowfall.

At the entrance to the station is Tsuzumimon Gate, modelled after a tsuzumi drum used in traditional Noh theatre. If you’re here at night, you’ll be able to see the gate lit up against the backdrop of the impressive Motenashi Dome.

Kanazawa is about two and a half hours from Tokyo Station on the shinkansen.

This impossibly scenic station is nestled atop a cliff above Sesso Lake in central Shizuoka. The area is popular for hiking, but you’ll also find the small Kojo Station Café here (Fri-Mon 11am-6pm). If you’ve got a head for heights, it’s possible to walk across the railway bridge to reach an observation deck for sweeping views of the area.

Being in such a remote location means Okuoikojo Station isn’t the easiest to visit. You can take the shinkansen to Shizuoka or Hamamatsu stations, then change to the JR Tokaido line for Kanaya. From Kanaya, take the Oigawa Main line to Senzu, and then the Ikawa line to Okuoikojo Station. It’s a roughly four-hour journey from Shizuoka and Hamamatsu stations.

If you arrive in Kyoto by train, your surprisingly modern introduction to the historical city comes in the form of this futuristic-looking station. Designed by legendary Japanese architect Hiroshi Hara, the station building opened in 1997 and is still striking today. At its heart is the incredible metal and glass atrium that allows sunlight to flood the building by day, before taking on a stylish glow by night.

For some of the best views of the station interior, take a walk along the Skyway, a passageway that crosses the atrium between East Square and the 11th-floor Porta Sky Dining Area. You can also look out over Kyoto’s skyline from the rooftop Sky Garden.

Dogo Onsen Station in Matsuyama city is just a five-minute walk from the hot spring complex of the same name and fits in nicely with its surroundings. Dogo Onsen opened in 1893 and was the inspiration for Yubaba’s bathhouse in the Studio Ghibli classic ‘Spirited Away’ with its striking blend of Western and Japanese architecture. You’ll find a similar design for the station building, which is a replica of the 1911 original.

Located about 20 minutes from Matsuyama Station, Dogo Onsen Station is a terminal of the Iyo Tramway. On weekends and holidays, you can also ride the Botchan Train between Matsuyama and Dogo Onsen stations. This special train is a replica of the steam trains that used to run in Matsuyama over 100 years ago.

Mojiko Port in Kitakyushu city opened in 1889 for international trade, and the influence from that time is still visible today in the area’s Western-style buildings. Among the red brick warehouses and ornate houses is Mojiko Station, which was built in 1914. Today it’s recognised as an important cultural property of Japan.

This two-storey, Renaissance-style building certainly looks stately from the outside, but it’s just as impressive inside. Waiting rooms and a former restaurant from the 1910s have been preserved, as has a guest room that was used by Emperor Taisho in the early 20th century. Even the platform has a retro signboard with the station’s name.

Mojiko Station is the terminal of the Kagoshima Main line and about 15 minutes from Kokura Station for the shinkansen.