Fujinomori Station (藤森駅)

Fujinomori Station, located in Fukakusa-kitoro-cho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, is a stop on the Keihan Main Line, which is operated by Keihan Electric Railway.

Station layout
It is located on the ground level, with two parallel platforms serving two tracks between them. The station house (ticket gate) is located on the side of the platform used by the trains bound for Yodoyabashi, and an underground path is provided within the ticket gate to go to the other platform used by the trains bound for Demachiyanagi. An free underground path is provided on the north side of the station, enabling access to the west side of the station. The platform used by the trains for Yodoyabashi is located several train-car lengths north from the position where the platform used by the trains for Demachiyanagi is located, and an overpass of Meishin Expressway is placed over and across the platforms. Since around the mid-1980s, the pillars of the platforms have been painted pale purple, corresponding to the name of the station (Fuji means wisteria in Japanese).

Platforms

* Each platform has a length sufficient to accommodate an eight-car train (but only seven-car trains stop there). No track number is displayed.

Station surroundings
The Lake Biwa Canal flows on the immediate east side of this station house, and Hotta-bashi Bridge--which is dedicated for pedestrian use--was constructed over the canal in 1928.

The Fukakusa bus stop: For Meishin Highway buses (approximately five minutes away on foot)
The Seibo Jogakuin junior college, high school, junior high school and elementary school
Kyoto Municipal Fukakusa Junior High School
Kyoto Municipal Fukakusa Elementary School
The Fukakusa post office
The Fujinomori Daiei store
Kyoto Municipal Science Center for Youth
The Fukakusa branch of the Fushimi Healthcare Center
The Fukakusa branch of the Fushimi Ward office
The Kyoto Medical Center
Fujinomori Rose Town

Bus stops
No route bus service is available at Keihan Fujinomori Station.

The bus stop nearest to the station: The Fukakusa-nishiura-cho bus stop or Fujinomori bus stop for buses operated by the Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau or by Keihan Bus, and the Fukakusa bus stop for Meishin Highway buses
The Fukakusa-nishiura-cho bus stop
This bus stop is located not in front of the station but at a place along Shidan-kaido Road, which is a five-minute walk from the station.

Kyoto City buses
Route South 5: Bound for Takeda-eki-higashiguchi (east entrance to Takeda Station) (Kyoto Prefecture)/for Kyoto Station (via Fushimi Inari-jinja Shrine)
Route Rin-South (臨南) 5: In the direction of Fujinomori-jinja Shrine
The Fujinomori bus stop
This bus stop is located not in front of the station but at a place along Shidan-kaido Road, which is a five-minute walk from the station.

Kyoto City buses
Route Rin-South (臨南) 5: Bound for Takeda-eki-higashiguchi (east entrance to Takeda Station) (Kyoto Prefecture)
Route Rin-South (臨南) 8: Bound for Takeda-eki-higashiguchi (east entrance to Takeda Station)/for Yokooji-shako Depot
Keihan buses
Route 2: Bound for Takeda-eki-higashiguchi (east entrance to Takeda Station)/for the direction of Daigo
The Fukakusa bus stop for Meishin Highway buses
This bus stop is located not in front of the station but at a place on the Meishin Expressway, which is a five-minute walk (approximately 500 meters) from the station.

In addition to Meishin Highway buses, highway buses for other directions stop here.

History
April 15, 1910: This facility started operating as Shidan-mae Station.

September 1, 1941: Its name was changed to Fujinomori Station. With a military division ("shidan" in Japanese) stationed nearby, the change of the name was for the purpose of counterespionage.

October 1, 1943: The companies concerned merged, and this station became a facility of Keihanshin Express Electric Railway (Hankyu Corporation).

December 1, 1949: Due to a separation of the company, this station became a facility of Keihan Electric Railway.

March 30, 1977: The sale of 'Rose Mansion Fujinomori,' the first condominium apartment built by Keihan Electric Railway, started on the west side of this station.

March 30, 1978: The construction of 'Rose Mansion Fujinomori ' was completed, as was that of the Keihan Fujinomori building.

March 29, 1999: Slopes for wheelchairs were provided for the platform for the trains bound for Osaka.

2003: Pictures for the 'second-generation Okeihan, Rie EMOTO' commercial were taken at this station.

February, 2008: Equipment to indicate any abnormality on a platform was installed.

Others

Until around 2000, an announcement of 'Kagaku Center-mae (in front of the Science Center)" was made following the announcement of the station's name in the public address system on the train.

For some time before that era, an announcement indicating how to get on buses of Nihon Kyuko Bus (日本急行バス) (the Japan express bus) from this station was made (in this era, the announcement of 'Kagaku Center-mae (in front of the Science Center)' wasn't made). In this era, a light-illuminated board displaying information for bus passengers was placed on each platform and a light-illuminated bus timetable board was installed near the ticket gate. Of the Meishin highway bus companies, Nihon Kyuko Bus was partly funded by Keihan, which is considered to be a reason such information specific to Nihon Kyuko Bus was given at the station (in neglect of the activities of other highway bus companies). Later, in 1971, Nihon Kyuko Bus became totally funded by Meitetsu, whereupon its operation was entrusted to Nagoya Kanko Jidosha (the Nagoya sightseeing car company) in 1979, and the announcement of buses was discontinued.

In March, 2008, Keihan Electric Railway and Kyoto City jointly announced a plan to construct a west-side ticket gate and install an elevator connecting the floor of each ticket gate with the corresponding platform. The construction and installation are scheduled for completion in fiscal year 2010.

Adjacent stations
Keihan Electric Railway
Keihan Main Line

K-Limited Express/Limited Express/Express

Nonstop

Sub-express/Local

Sumizome Station - Fujinomori Station - Fukakusa Station

[Original Japanese]