History
Higashi-Tsuyama Station opened on 15 March 1928 with the inauguration of the Government Railways' Innami-Minami Line between Mimasaka-Kamo, the station and Tsuyama, in present-day Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture. On 1 July 1932 the Innami-Minami Line became part of the Innami Line. On 28 November 1934 the Himetsu-Nishi Line opened from the station to Mimasaka-Emi, making Higashi-Tsuyama a transfer station. With the full opening of the Himeji – Higashi-Tsuyama section on 8 April 1936, the Himetsu-Nishi Line merged into the Himetsu Line. On 10 October 1936 the line nomenclature was revised: the Himetsu Line was renamed Kishin Line and absorbed the Higashi-Tsuyama – Tsuyama section of the Innami Line, which therefore now terminates at Higashi-Tsuyama. Freight was discontinued on 25 December 1983 and parcels on 14 March 1985. At the privatisation of Japanese National Railways on 1 April 1987 the station was transferred to JR West. From 1 May 2000 the directly-staffed station was destaffed (the Tsuyama Railway Department Higashi-Tsuyama Branch was abolished). On 29 November 1997 the Sakyū express was abolished, making the station a non-stop for new rapid services. Higashi-Tsuyama is the terminus of the Innami Line, but operationally all trains continue to Tsuyama.
History summarized from Japanese & English Wikipedia · last reviewed 2026-05-22.
Notes
Higashi-Tsuyama and the adjacent Tsuyama Station had a friendly rivalry in the express-train era: a banner reading 'Welcome to the east town' (ようこそ東の町へ) was hung from a building north of the station, visible from the platforms. The station still contains rather old equipment, including supports manufactured in 1942 that remain in use.