The Kyu-shirataki Station in Hokkaido went viral in the last few months when the story of high school student Kana Harada became well known. The small station in her village was built by locals to accommodate any kids who needed to get to the nearest school, about 35 minutes away.
Hokkaido Railway Co. had planned to shut the station down in 2012, but when they found out Kana still needed it they kept the line running. It’s an incredibly heart-warming story that was of course ruined by the Internet.
Not because it isn’t true! All the sweet stuff is adorably real. Some reports indicate that after the story became so popular, train fanatics started swarming the little station and demanding Kana pose picturesquely for them. This is why we can’t have nice things.
On March 25, Kana graduated, so her ordeal is finally over. So is the train station’s. In a low-key ceremony, residents of the small village gathered to say goodbye and thanks for all the rides.
Small town hangouts look the same everywhere:
Here’s Kana talking about how sweet her train ride was, reflecting with the nostalgia of someone who hasn’t yet been asked to have her picture taken every day at 7 in the morning for months:
