History
Shinano-Kokubunji Station opened on 29 March 2002 as the second new station added to the Shinano Railway Line after the third-sector operator took over the parallel-Shinkansen JR East segment in 1997. The project had originated in a local lobbying campaign begun in 1991 under the working name "Kokubu New Station," with alternative naming proposals including "Shinano-Kokubunji" and "Yōkadō." From 13 March 2004 the station became a stop for the "Shinano Sunrise" rapid commuter service. The station was destaffed on 1 April 2022, and Suica integrated-circuit card acceptance went live on 14 March 2026, served through a simple Suica ticket gate.
History summarized from Japanese & English Wikipedia · last reviewed 2026-05-18.
Notes
Each year on 7–8 January the nearby Shinano Kokubun-ji temple holds its Yōkadō festival, which lacks parking and overwhelms surrounding roads; the railway officially encourages worshippers to use Shinano-Kokubunji Station instead of driving in.