History
Jōhana Station opened on 31 October 1897 as the terminus of the Chūetsu Railway's extension from Fukumitsu. The line was nationalised in 1920, and in 1942 the Takaoka to Jōhana segment was split off and renamed the Jōhana Line, with the station as its inland terminus. Emperor Shōwa visited the station in October 1947 to inspect the local charcoal depot — a trip widely credited with helping launch Japan's post-war reforestation movement. The station passed to JR West at the 1 April 1987 privatisation; the original wooden station building, restored in March 2019 as part of a Nanto City project, remains in service. ICOCA acceptance was introduced on 14 March 2026.
History summarized from Japanese & English Wikipedia · last reviewed 2026-05-18.
Notes
Emperor Shōwa visited Jōhana Station in October 1947 to inspect its charcoal yard; remarks he made about reforestation that day are credited with sparking the National Tree-Planting Festival, first held in Yamanashi in 1950.