History
Kato Station opened on 3 April 1921 as a general station on the Ministry-operated Obama Line when the section between Obama and Wakasa-Takahama was extended. Freight handling was withdrawn on 1 March 1961, and parcel handling and the passing loop were removed on 15 March 1973 when the station was destaffed. The station passed to JR West on 1 April 1987 with JNR privatisation. In 1995 a barber shop relocated into the former station office and the proprietors took on commissioned ticket sales and cleaning duties. The Kanazawa Branch announced its intention to withdraw the commission by fiscal 2030, and the station was formally made unstaffed on 1 April 2026.
History summarized from Japanese & English Wikipedia · last reviewed 2026-05-18.
Notes
The disused side platform was repurposed by the volunteer station-keepers as a cosmos flower bed.