[Aikoku Station in Obihiro] Aikoku Traffic Memorial Hall Is Famous for Steam Locomotive and Lucky Train Tickets

Aikoku Station

Aikoku Station (愛国駅) is a former station in Aikoku-cho located in the south part of Obihiro city, and was closed in 1987. The station is preserved as Aikoku Traffic Memorial Hall (愛国交通記念館) at present, and still has some traces of the past. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge.

Because this was a lucky station name (The kofuku means "A happiness" in Japanese), getting a train ticket with its station name became popular at that time. When a romantic slogan "From Aikoku to Kofuku (愛国から幸福行き * From Country of Love to Happiness)" particularly was announced in 1973, train tickets from Aikoku Station (Aikoku means Country of Love in Japanese) to the Kofuku Station became very popular. At that time, Ms. Yoko Seri (芹洋子), a Japanese singer, sung a song "愛の国から幸福へ (From Country of Love to Happiness)". However, Hiroo Line (広尾線) was abolished for money-losing routes. Although the Kofuku Station was closed down, a station building has been preserved.

Movie of Aikoku Station

A convenience store is built around here. The park is near Obihiro Airport, too. By the way, a highway bus "Potato Liner (ポテトライナー)" runs between the Obihiro and the Sapporo, and a express bus "North Liner-go (ノースライナー号)" runs between the Obihiro and Asahikawa.

List of Highway Bus

Refer to following companies for the highway bus service between Obihiro and Sapporo or Asahikawa.

Chuo Bus(中央バス)	From Sapporo to Obihiro	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
Chuo Bus(中央バス)	From Obihiro to Sapporo	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
Takushoku Bus(拓殖バス)	From Asahikawa to Obihiro	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
Takushoku Bus(拓殖バス)	From Obihiro to Asahikawa	HP	Jalan	Rakuten

Kofuku Station

Kofuku Station (幸福駅) is a former station in Kofuku-cho located in the south part of Obihiro city, and was closed in 1987. Around here was originally named "幸震 (Satsunai)", but reading out loud is difficult, so they used "福 (Fuku)" and renamed "Kofuku" because a lot of emigrants from Fukui Prefecture (福井県) settled around here. The station is preserved as a traffic playground at present, and still has some traces of the past. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. Article is here

OBIHIRO

Obihiro (帯広) that about 170,000 people live is the 6th largest commercial city in Hokkaido, and is one of regional hub cities of the Eastern Hokkaido area. It has flourished as the center of the Tokachi district. The Obihiro is also a stockyard for agricultural products in whole Tokachi district, and Potato, Beet, Wheat and Chinese Yam are famous as a local product. As for a climate, it is hot that temperature rises to nearly 30 degrees in a summer, and it is cold that temperature falls to nearly -20 degrees in a winter. It has a large temperature gap, but it has less snow relatively in the Hokkaido. Therefore skating is popular in the winter. Mr. Hiroyasu Shimizu, an olympic gold medalist, come from the Obihiro, and there is much competition population of the skating. Article is here