Noichi Station

Railway station in Kōnan, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan

33°33′43″N 133°41′52″E / 33.561875°N 133.697792°E / 33.561875; 133.697792Operated byTosa Kuroshio RailwayLine(s)■ Asa Line Distance5.7 km from GomenPlatforms2 side platformsTracks2ConstructionStructure typeElevatedOther informationStatusStaffed kan'i itaku ticket windowStation codeGN37WebsiteOfficial websiteHistoryOpened1 July 2002 (2002-07-01)PassengersFY20111,265 daily

Location
Noichi Station Location within Kochi Prefecture Show map of Kochi Prefecture Noichi Station Noichi Station (Japan) Show map of Japan

Noichi Station (のいち駅, Noichi-eki) is a passenger railway station located in the city of Kōnan, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by the third-sector Tosa Kuroshio Railway with the station number "GN37".^[1]^[2]

Lines

The station is served by the Asa Line and is located 5.7 km from the beginning of the line at Gomen.^[3] All Asa Line trains, rapid and local, stop at the station.^[4]

Layout

The station consists of two opposed side platforms serving two elevated tracks. Track/platform 1 is used for eastbound trains and track/platform 2 is for the westbound ones. The station building is built into the elevated structure underneath the tracks and houses a waiting area and a shop. The shop is operated by the Koan City Tourism Association which also staffs the ticket window as a kan'i itaku agent. Access to the platforms is by a flight of steps or elevators. ^[2]^[5]^[6]

Adjacent stations

«	Service	»
Asa Line
Gomenmachi	Rapid	Akaoka
Tateda	Local	Yoshikawa

Station mascot

Each station on the Asa Line features a cartoon mascot character designed by Takashi Yanase, a local cartoonist from Kōchi Prefecture. The mascot for Noichi Station is a clown named Noichin Donman (のいちんどんまん). A statue of this mascot is located near the station entrance. The character relates to a chindon'ya (Japanese costumed marching band) competition which is held in Noichi annually.^[7]

The picture of the Donman mascot is on the front of this Asa Line 9640 DMU to the left. The train is at Tosa-Otsu.

History

The train station was opened on 1 July 2002 by the Tosa Kuroshio Railway as an intermediate station on its track from Gomen to Nahari.^[8]

Passenger statistics

In fiscal 2011, the station was used by an average of 1,265 passengers daily.^[8]

Surrounding area

Konan City Hall (formerly Noichi Town Hall)
Konan City Noichi Elementary School
Shikoku Automobile Museum
Japan National Route 55

References

^ "Shikoku Railway Route Map" (PDF). JR Shikoku. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
^ ^a ^b "のいち" [Noichi]. hacchi-no-he.net. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
^ Kawashima, Ryōzō (2013). 図説: 日本の鉄道四国・九州ライン全線・全駅・全配線・第1巻四国東部エリア [Japan Railways Illustrated. Shikoku and Kyushu. All lines, all stations, all track layouts. Volume 1 Eastern Shikoku] (in Japanese). Kodansha. pp. 50, 85. ISBN 9784062951609.
^ "時刻表ごめん・なはり線" [Timetable Gomen-Nahari Line] (PDF). Tosa Kuroshio Railway. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
^ "のいち" [Noichi]. nacl.sakura.jp. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
^ "土佐くろしお鉄道のいち駅" [Tosa Kuroshio Railway Noichi Station]. Tosa Kuroshio Railway Official Website. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
^ "のいちんどんまん" [Noichin Donman]. gomen-nahari.com. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
^ ^a ^b Terada, Hirokazu (19 January 2013). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways] (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing. pp. 173, 303. ISBN 978-4-7770-1336-4.