Tucked among the mountains of Kagoshima in southern Japan, Kareigawa Station sits quietly along the JR Hisatsu Line. First opened in 1903, it is one of the oldest remaining wooden stations on the route. Its structure is built entirely of timber, preserving the original waiting room, ticket counter, and wooden window frames. With no automatic gates or digital displays, the station moves at its own pace. The scent of wood, the worn walls, and the soft glow of sunlight on the grain reveal how timber can remain strong and beautiful even after more than a century.
Contents :
1.Hinoki: The Strength Within
2.The Craft of Joinery
3.Lessons From a Century-Old Building
4.The Language of Sustainable Timber
5.bestwood: Your Partner for Wood Solutions
Hinoki: The Strength Within
The station’s longevity comes from Hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa), one of Japan’s most trusted building materials. Native to Honshu and Shikoku, Hinoki is lightweight, fine-grained, and naturally fragrant. Its natural resistance to decay and insects makes it ideal for Japan’s humid climate. Known for stability and low shrinkage, Hinoki has long been used for temples, shrines, furniture, and major architectural works. Because Kareigawa Station was built with Hinoki, it continues to stand gracefully through wind, rain, and time.
The Craft of Joinery
During every restoration, traditional Japanese joinery has been used to repair and reinforce the structure. Wooden joints allow the building to expand and contract naturally with temperature and humidity, enabling the structure to “breathe” with the environment. Craftsmen carefully select the same species of wood as the original, carving and fitting each piece by hand so new and old timber merge seamlessly. These methods preserve not only the station’s appearance but also the craftsmanship behind Japan’s wooden architecture. Kareigawa Station stands as a meeting point between time and technique, showcasing the quiet precision of Japanese woodworking culture.
Lessons From a Century-Old Building
Kareigawa Station reminds us that the longevity of timber depends on proper selection, design, and care. A building that survives a hundred years does so not only because of the wood itself, but because of how thoughtfully it is used. This mindset applies equally to modern design. Furniture, flooring, wall panels, public spaces, and commercial interiors all benefit from choosing the right wood for the right purpose. Hinoki, for example, is ideal for interior finishes and bath tubs thanks to its stability, moisture resistance, and natural aroma. Understanding a wood species' properties—beyond its appearance—is what allows it to perform at its best.
The Language of Sustainable Timber
As the world moves toward low-carbon and renewable materials, timber is being rediscovered as a sustainable solution for long-term architecture. Kareigawa Station shows that wood is not temporary—it is a building material capable of lasting generations. Its value is not only in the moment a structure is completed, but in how it ages and lives with time.
bestwood: Your Partner for Wood Solutions
bestwood is your trusted partner in understanding and choosing the right timber. From structural and decorative wood to specialty panels, from FSC-certified products to custom cutting services, bestwood offers expert guidance and complete wood solutions for your projects.
GET YOUR BEST WOOD FROM bestwood —
Discover the lasting beauty of timber architecture
Read More
Related Product
Source :
https://www.letsgojp.com/archives/658101/
https://www.linsich.com/%E3%80%90%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%E3%80%91%E7%99%BE%E5%B9%B4%E6%9C%A8%E9%80%A0%E8%BB%8A%E7%AB%99-%E5%98%89%E4%BE%8B%E5%B7%9D%E9%A7%85/
https://travel.ettoday.net/article/614183.htm
https://reurl.cc/jmgVKp
https://reurl.cc/la5laj
