Akaike Station (Fukuoka)

Akaike Station (赤池駅) is a passenger railway station located in the town of Fukuchi, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by the third-sector railway operator Heisei Chikuhō Railway. A nearby ophthalmology clinic, Harada Eye Clinic, purchased naming rights to the station. Therefore, the station is alternatively known as Harada Eye Clinic Akaike Station (原田眼科赤池駅).

Lines
Akaike Station is served by the Ita Line and is located 8.5 km from the starting point of the line at Nōgata. Trains arrive roughly every 30 minutes.

Layout
The station consists of two unnumbered opposed side platforms connected by a level crossing. The station is unattended.

History
The station opened on 1 April 1904 as a freight-only station on the Kyushu Railway, primarily for the transportation of coal from nearby mines. The area was a center for river and canal traffic, and the boatmen and local innkeepers dependent on river traffic strong opposed the opening of the station. As a result, the Kyushu Railway bypassed Akaike for its passenger services, and the next station on the line, Kanada Station, quickly developed into a prosperous town. The Kyushu Railway was nationalized in 1907 and the station renamed the "Akaike Signal Stop" in 1910. It was promoted to a passenger station on 25 June 1937, becoming Akaike Station. With the privatization of the JNR on 1 April 1987, the station came under JR Kyushu. It was transferred to the Heisei Chikuho Railway on 1 October 1989.

Surrounding area
The statin is located at the southern end of the former Akaike Town.