History
Honmutabe Station has a two-part history on the parallel Karatsu and Chikuhi corridors in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture. The first incarnation opened on 1 March 1935 as part of the privately built Kita-Kyushu Railway, was nationalised in 1937 into the Chikuhi Line, then closed on 10 August 1941. The present, second station opened on 1 February 1960 as an addition to the existing Karatsu Line track, served only by railcars and from the outset with no station staff. JR Kyushu assumed control following the 1 April 1987 privatisation. The "hon" prefix in the station name distinguishes it from the former Mutabe Station on the now-defunct Kishitake branch.
History summarized from Japanese & English Wikipedia · last reviewed 2026-05-22.