This is Kunitachi Station, boasting a lovely pink hue reminiscent of Kunitachi’s springtime cherry blossoms.
SideStory：Who on Earth Will Get On or Off Here?（『国立駅だれが乗るやら降りるやら』）
ー赤いかわらのトンガリ屋根、ベージュ色の壁に設けられた大きな明かり窓。大正15年4月に開業した当時、東京でも1、2を誇るモダンな駅舎でした。箱根土地開発（現 国土計画）がこの駅舎をふくめこの地を宅地開発し、当時の一区画200坪で分譲されました。野外音楽堂も造られ、週末にはクラシックの演奏会などが催される学園都市が出現しました。開業当時「だれが乗るやら降りるやら」と新聞に書かれた田舎駅も、今では一橋大学や桐朋学園の学生たちを含めて一日10万人以上利用するようになりました。
ーWith its iconic pointed red-tiled roof and a large, elegant skylight set into beige walls, the original Kunitachi Station was a architectural marvel. When it first opened its doors in April 1926, it proudly stood as one of the most stylish and modern railway stations in all of Tokyo.
The area was developed by the Hakone-Tochi Development Company, which divided the land into generous residential lots of about 660 square meters (200 tsubo) per family. They even built an outdoor music hall where classical concerts echoed on weekends, giving birth to a high-class, European-style university town.
In its earliest days, surrounded by quiet fields, a local newspaper jokingly mocked the remote station, writing: “Kunitachi Station—who on earth will ever get on or off here?”
Today, that cynical joke has been completely rewritten. Fueled by the vibrant energy of students from the prestigious Hitotsubashi University and Toho Gakuen, this once-lonely country station has blossomed into a bustling landmark, now serving over 100,000 passengers every single day.
| 名称 | 国立駅 |
| 所在地 | 〒186-0001 東京都国立市北１丁目 |