Think of train stations in Japan and the mighty Shinjuku station is sure to come to mind for many people. That is the world’s busiest train station, and Japan monopolises the top 50 list with only five of them not in this country. However, at the other end of the scale are some tiny stations which are usually unstaffed and used by very few commuters.

Station: Sue

Prefecture: Fukuoka

Line(s): Kashii Line

Average No. of Daily Passengers: 547

Looking at the exterior of this station, you might be forgiven for thinking it’s some bleak Eastern Europe area with a fairly grim-looking block of flats towering over a decrepit station building. First impressions can be deceptive though as the interior is actually quite a modern structure of glass and steel frames with a small, stylish waiting area.

The station has been open since 1904 under the control of a few different operators. In March 2015, Sue station was one of many others on the Kashii Line to became a remotely managed “Smart Support Station” meaning that, if desired, passengers could receive assistance via intercom from staff at a central support centre.

The pronunciation may be different in Japanese (soo-e) but the station name naturally reminds me of any famous Sues as well as evoking memories of the similar sounding ‘Zoo Station‘; the opening track of ‘Achtung Baby’ (1991) by Irish rock legends U2. Lead singer Bono was partly inspired by Berlin Zoologischer Garten railway station, also known as “Zoo station” in English.

There is just the one side platform serving a single track, and again the exterior is rather depressing but in fairness it probably seemed that way due to the terrible weather on the day I was in town.

I wasn’t literally in town though as Sue station is actually far from the centre of Sue town, and the area around the station is a mix of residential and farmland. The main reason I was in this area on the eastern side of the airport was to visit Nakayoshi Park which is home to what was once the only national coal mine in Japan.

Click on the following links for previous ‘Unstaffed Stations of Japan’ posts…

1. Kamiyagi   #2. Funamachi   #3. Inazusa   #4. Yodo   #5. Nebukawa   #6. Miyamae   #7. Arao   #8. Higashi-Abiko   #9. Nukazawa   #10. Shin Shibaura   #11. Kubiki   #12. Kamakurakōkōmae   #13. Daishimae   #14. Minami-Takada   #15. Mochida   #16. Minami-Takasaki   #17. Screen   #18. Takio   #19. Igaya