Ōtani Station - Otsu

There is no toilet. There is a bench. The rain can withstand.

A small unmanned station along Route 1. There are two Semimaru Shrines and two eel shops in front of the station.

The historic site of Osaka Seki and the famous eel restaurant are close by, and National Highway No. 1 runs side by side, which is a transportation hub. However, the prefectural border is drawn closer to Kyoto. The characteristic is that the station is in the middle of the pass, so it has a one-sided downward slope toward Kyoto. The slope is so steep that the legs of the bench are not parallel to the platform. The direction of Otsu is a tunnel soon, and immediately after that there is a curve that turns 90 °, and it runs slowly from the middle of the tunnel.

Since it is on a slope of about 40 ‰, the length of the bench legs is different on the left and right. The Otani Shimote railroad crossing that went out of the ticket gate to the left was a pretty good spot where you could take pictures that are typical of the Keihan line. On the other hand, if you go to the right, you will see Osaka's Seki traces and eel shops, so if you are a railroad fan, will you be bored? The place.

Otani Station is a station on the Keihan Electric Railway Keizu Line, located in Otani Town, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture. The station number is OT34. In the in-car broadcast, it is now pronounced "Otani" (until the Otsu Line in-car broadcast update on March 17, 2018, it was pronounced "Otani"). At an altitude of 159m, it is the highest position in all stations of Keihan Electric Railway, including the steel cable line. It is the steepest station in Japan on ordinary railroads and tracks in Japan. history August 18, 1879 (Meiji 12) --Kyoto --The station on the Tokaido main line opens due to the opening of Otani. July 15, 1880 (Meiji 13) --Otani --Opened between Otsu (currently Zensho). 1912 (Taisho 1st year) August 15-Kyotsu Electric Orbit Sanjo Ohashi-Kyotsu Electric Orbit station opened due to the opening of Tadanotsuji (later abolished) [1]. It will be a transfer station and a station on the Tokaido main line. 1921 (Taisho 10) August 1-Tokaido Main Line Baba (current Zensho) -Tokaido Main Line station is abolished due to route switching between Kyoto. 1925 (Taisho 14) February 1-Become a station on the Keihan Electric Railway Keizu Line due to the merger of the companies [2]. 1930 (Showa 5) November 9-A train threatening derailment case occurs by a labor union official (see Keihan Keizu Line train threatening derailment case). April 7, 1932-Relocation of Otani Station to a new building due to the improvement work of "Kyotsu National Highway (National Highway No. 1)" [2]. October 1, 1943 (Showa 18) --Become a station of Keihanshin Kyuko Electric Railway (currently Hankyu Electric Railway) due to the merger of the companies. 1945 (Showa 20) May 15-Business suspension [2]. June 1-An aircraft parts factory was built in the former Osakayama tunnel and reopened for employee transportation [2]. 1949 (Showa 24) December 1-Due to the company separation, it becomes a station of Keihan Electric Railway again. 1996 (1996) November 16-The platform is relocated 71m near Biwakohama Otsu, and a new station building is built [2]. March 1, 2002-Installed and started using automatic ticket gates and checkout machines for the introduction of the "Surutto KANSAI" system on the Kyotsu Line. April 1, 2007-IC card "PiTaPa" can be used. 2019-Removal of automatic ticket gates for magnetic tickets Usage situation 1st: 356 (November 10, 2009) Until the mid-1990s, the number of passengers was around 800, but after that it started to decrease and in 2002 it fell below 500 and has remained around 400. Currently, the number of users is the smallest at all stations of Keihan Electric Railway. From Keihan Electric Railway's 100th Anniversary Magazine "Ayumi of Keihan 100 Years", "Transition of Passengers by Station" Around the station Topographically, it is west of Osaka Pass and is on the edge of the Yamashina Basin, but it belongs to Shiga Prefecture. It seems that there is only a long-established "Unagi's famous shop" and a teahouse on the pass near the station, but there are Otani housing complex and Otsu municipal riding practice field along the road leading from the entrance to the north side on the west side of the Meishin Expressway Seimaru tunnel (the site). Is the site of the former Army's "Otani Shooting Ground" [3]). Semaru Shrine National highway No. 1 Tokaido Otani Riding Ground Next station Keihan Electric Railway ▲ Kyotsu Line Oiwake Station (OT33) --Otani Station (OT34) --Kamieicho Station (OT35) Routes that once existed Ministry of Railways (public railway) Tokaido Main Line (old line) Baba Station (currently Zensho Station) --Otani Station --Yamashina Station The location of Yamashina Station at that time was different from that of the current Tokaido Main Line and Kosai Line stations, and it was near Ono Station on the Kyoto Municipal Subway Tozai Line along the current Meishin Expressway.

This was taken in 2010. The ticket gate before the introduction of the IC card. The signboard at the station is also different.

There is no automatic ticket gate at an unmanned station, only a simple IC card ticket gate. There is an automatic ticket vending machine, so when you get on the train, buy a ticket there. When getting off, put it in the ticket collection box. In the case of over-the-counter clearing, purchase the ticket for the over-passed section at the ticket vending machine and put it in the collection box.

The width of the platform is narrow, the slope is steep, the altitude is less than 160m, and the benches have different leg lengths, so it is a fun station. Although it is an unmanned station, there is no problem because you can use an IC card. You can get off here and take a half-day stroll around Sekisemimaru Shrine / Osaka no Seki / Choanji / Mio Shrine / Mio Temple and the old Tokaido.