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Mole Stations: Six Japanese Train Stations That Force You Underground
How far down would YOU go to catch a ride to work? Meet six so-called “mole stations” in Japan that put the “sub” in “subway”.
By Jay Allen
We’ve written about interesting train stations in Japan — from ones out in the middle of nowhere to stations in Tokyo that hardly anyone uses. But there’s an even more interesting — and spooky — type of station. Learn about Japan’s “mole stations” and how you can check them out yourself (if you dare…).
Hey, someone’s using it…
Japan is home to over 9,000 train stations (9,024 in 2022, according to one source I found). The busiest among them, not surprisingly, are in Tokyo, where Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Ikebukuro Stations take the first three places. The three stations combined see over 7 million users daily.
Not every station is so well-traveled, of course. Tokyo also has stations such as Naganuma Station (3,570 users/day) and Minami Shinjuku Station (3,588 visitors/day) that practically no one uses. They continue to exist because, for the people who do use them, they’re indispensable.
