Shimo-Imaichi Station

Shimo-Imaichi Station (下今市駅, Shimo-Imaichi-eki) is a railway station in the city of Nikkō, Tochigi, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Tōbu Railway. The station is numbered "TN-23".

TN23 Shimo-Imaichi Station 下今市駅
Shimo-Imaichi Station frontage in August 2017
General information
Location	1110 Imaichi, Nikkō-shi, Tochigi-ken 321-1261 Japan
Coordinates	36.7256°N 139.6932°E / 36.7256; 139.6932
Operated by	Tōbu Railway
Line(s)	Tōbu Nikkō Line Tōbu Kinugawa Line
Distance	87.4 km from Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen
Platforms	2 island platforms
Tracks	4
Other information
Station code	TN-23
Website	Official website
History
Opened	7 July 1929
Rebuilt	2016-2017
Passengers
FY2019	2,432 daily
Services
Preceding station Tobu Railway Following station Shin-Kanuma TN18 towards Shinjuku Nikkō Tōbu–Nikkō TN25 Terminus Shin-Kanuma TN18 towards Asakusa Spacia X Tochigi TN11 towards Asakusa Kegon Terminus SL Taiju Futara Shin-Kanuma TN18 towards Minami-Kurihashi Nikkō Line Express Myojin TN22 towards Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen Nikkō Line Local Kami-Imaichi TN24 towards Tōbu–Nikkō Shin-Kanuma TN18 towards Shinjuku Kinugawa Tobu World Square TN55 towards Kinugawa–Onsen Shin-Kanuma TN11 towards Asakusa Spacia X Tochigi TN11 towards Asakusa Kinu Aizu Shin-Takatoku TN53 towards Shin-Fujiwara Terminus SL Taiju Tobu World Square TN55 towards Kinugawa–Onsen Kinugawa Line Daiyamukō TN51 towards Shin-Fujiwara
Location Shimo-Imaichi Station Location within Tochigi Prefecture Show map of Tochigi Prefecture Shimo-Imaichi Station Shimo-Imaichi Station (Japan) Show map of Japan

Lines

Shimo-Imaichi Station is served by the 94.5 km Tōbu Nikkō Line, and is also the starting point of the 16.2 km Tobu Kinugawa Line to Shin-Fujiwara. It is 87.4 km from the starting point of the Tobu Nikko Line at Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen.^[1]

Station layout

The station consists of two island platforms serving four tracks, connected to the station entrance by a footbridge.

Platforms

1	■ Tōbu Nikkō Line	for Tōbu-Nikkō
2	■ Tōbu Kinugawa Line	for Kinugawa-Onsen
3, 4	■ Tōbu Nikkō Line	for Shin-Tochigi and Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen

History

Shimo-Imaichi Station opened on 7 July 1929.^[1]

From 17 March 2012, station numbering was introduced on all Tōbu lines, with Shimo-Imaichi Station becoming "TN-23".^[2]

A turntable was installed next to the station in 2016 for turning the steam locomotive used on steam-hauled tourist trains operating between Shimo-Imaichi and Kinugawa-Onsen since August 2017.^[3] The turntable was acquired from the JR West Nagatoshi Station in Yamaguchi Prefecture.^[3] A two-stall engine shed to house the steam locomotive was also constructed adjacent to it. At the same time, the station was renovated to architecturally resemble a Japanese railway station from the Showa era.

The original footbridge linking the platforms received protection by the national government as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2017.^[4]

• 
  The station in October 2008
• 
  The station entrance in August 2017, following renovation
• 
  The turntable and engine shed in August 2017

Passenger statistics

In fiscal 2019, the station was used by an average of 2432 passengers daily (boarding passengers only).^[5]

Surrounding area

• Former Imaichi City Hall
• Imaichi Post Office
• National Route 119
• National Route 121

See also

• List of railway stations in Japan

References

1. Terada, Hirokazu (19 January 2013). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways]. Japan: Neko Publishing. p. 223. ISBN 978-4-7770-1336-4.
2. 「東武スカイツリーライン」誕生！ あわせて駅ナンバリングを導入し、よりわかりやすくご案内します [Tobu Sky Tree Line created! Station numbering to be introduced at same time] (pdf). Tobu News (in Japanese). Tobu Railway. 9 February 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
3. 蒸気機関車（ＳＬ）復活運転の車両・施設計画概要について [Details of rolling stock and facilities planned for steam locomotive operation] (pdf). News release (in Japanese). Japan: Tobu Railway. 21 April 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
4. "東武鉄道下今市駅旧跨線橋". Cultural Heritage Online (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 25 August 2020. (in Japanese)
5. 駅情報（乗降人員) [Station passenger figures (Fiscal 2019)] (in Japanese). Japan: Tobu Railway. 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.

External links

• Shimo-Imaichi Station information (in Japanese)