Echigo-Iwasawa Station - Ojiya

On Sunday morning at 6 o'clock, take a regular train bound for Nagaoka. Moth

An old-fashioned station in a peaceful countryside. It is an unmanned station.

Showa Station is changing in the era of Heisei, The area around this station is the same, somehow the same The station building is also not interesting. This station is still precious with the smell of Showa.

It is an unmanned station. The toilet is in front of the station.

I visited Echigo-Iwasawa Station for the first time in late September 1990 when I was 19 years old. Then, when I turned 50 in 2021, I visited Echigo-Iwasawa Station for the first time in 31 years in late May of the same year. Now, let me tell you about the transformation around Echigo-Iwasawa Station 31 years later. 1. 1. I miss the Kiha 58 series railcars The Kiha 58 series on the Iiyama Line (which was once used for express Nozawa and ordinary trains. It was aging) was completely abolished by the revision of the diagram in October 1997, and replaced with the current Kiha 110 series. Was done. I miss the unique Iiyama Line design of blue and ivory white (designed only for regular trains. Express Nozawa is red and ivory). In addition, the Iiyama Line of the Kiha 58 series era has not been operated by one man yet, and the conductor was on board. One-man operation started in 1997 during the Kiha 110 series. I miss the unique light oil odor of the Kiha 58 series (the Kiha 110 series has almost no odor). In addition, the operation of Kiha 40 series on the Iiyama line was abolished in the diagram revision in October 1997. The operation of Kiha 40 series in Niigata Prefecture was abolished in 2020 except for the special train Koshino Shukura (Ban-Etsusai Line was abolished in March and Tadami Line was abolished in July). It's a lonely story, but this is also a trend of the times. 2. Nostalgic memories of the manned station era At the time of my first visit in September 1990, there was one stationmaster and station employee. A tall station employee with a height of about 183 cm, he wore glasses. When I was waiting for the down train bound for Echigo-Kawaguchi on the platform, I had a conversation like this. Station staff "Customers are young. How many?" I "I am 19 years old this year" Station employee "I am 47 years old this year." I said, "It's the same age as my father. By the way, will the Iiyama Line be electrified in the future?" Station staff "That's not true. The Iiyama Line itself is not a profitable line." I "I miss the Express Nozawa. I wanted to ride it." Station employee "It's been three years since it was abolished. There will be no revival." Did that station employee eventually become the last station employee at Echigo-Iwasawa Station? Already, JR East Nagano branch office (until March 2010, all lines of the Iiyama line are under the jurisdiction of the Nagano branch office. The section between Morimiyanohara station and Echigo-Kawaguchi station is under the jurisdiction of the Niigata branch office from April of the same year) I should have retired, but I wonder if I can stay fine. 3. 3. Urashima Taro's mood, here and there was being renovated With the unmanned station, the window of the former station staff's office was closed with a board. In addition, the toilets were also closed (for the convenience of station users, Ojiya City newly installed a clean and stylish public toilet in front of the station in 2018). The waiting room, which had been significantly deteriorated, was significantly renovated and renewed. In addition, some of the outer walls and columns were also being renovated. On the platform, LED and voice alarms (notifying the approach of the upper and lower trains) were installed. However, there were some that did not change. An old wooden handwritten station name sign, which has been used since the 1970s, is posted near the entrance of the waiting room (in 1990, it was posted on the platform side of Line 1), the first time in 31 years. I missed the reunion. Completed in 1927 (Showa 2), it is the second oldest station building on the Iiyama Line (the oldest station building is Shinano-Asano Station in Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture. Completed in 1921) Echigo Iwasawa Station. 4. It used to be the base station for a three-sided platform By the time I first visited in 1990, it was already a bar line station (a station without a train exchange facility). The rails of the former track 2 remain, but they are completely rusted and covered with weeds, and are separated from the track 1. Rails and sleepers have already been removed from Line 3 (I think it was abolished before Line 2). In the days when there were lines 2 and 3, customers were moving to an island platform by railroad crossing on the premises (because there was no overpass). The stairs that were used at that time still remain on the island platform. However, the floor board of the railroad crossing had already been removed in 1990. 5. Location conditions like the original scenery of Japan Others have written it, but the appearance of a rural station surrounded by rice fields and mountains is attractive. The scenery around the station hasn't changed much from 31 years ago. The locals also attach great importance to Echigo-Iwasawa Station, and are enthusiastic about beautification activities around the station (a letter of appreciation from the president of JR East Niigata is posted in the waiting room). There is also a well-meaning umbrella in the waiting room. 6. Future picture of Echigo-Iwasawa Station Echigo-Iwasawa Station, which is aging, will have to be rebuilt in the future. In 2027, we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of completion. I don't know what time my next visit will be, but by that time it may have been newly built like Uchigamaki Station or Gejo Station. Located in a heavy snowfall area called Ojiya City, Niigata Prefecture, the latest natural falling roof (if the roof has a steep angle like Uchigamaki Station or Gejo Station, the snow will fall naturally. No need to remove snow. ), So it is indispensable to remove the snow in winter. When constructing a new station building (it is certain to adopt a naturally falling roof), I would like you to make it a nice building that matches the surrounding landscape.