Wakaba Station

Wakaba Station (若葉駅) is a passenger railway station located in the city of Sakado, Saitama, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Tōbu Railway.

Lines
Wakaba Station is served by the Tōbu Tōjō Line from Ikebukuro in Tokyo. Located between Tsurugashima and Sakado, it is 38.9 km from the Ikebukuro terminus. Rapid Express, Express, Semi Express, and all-stations Local services stop at this station.

Station layout
The station consists of a single island platform serving two tracks. The station building is located above the platforms.

History
The station opened on 2 April 1979. The name "Wakaba" derived from the nearby Wakabadai housing estate. The station originally had an entrance on the east side only, but was extended in March 2004 with an entrance on the west side leading to a new station forecourt area.

From 17 March 2012, station numbering was introduced on the Tōbu Tōjō Line, with Wakaba Station becoming "TJ-25".

From March 2023, Wakaba Station became a Rapid Express service stop following the abolishment of the Rapid (快速, Kaisoku) services and reorganization of the Tōbu Tōjō Line services. In addition, through service via the Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Sōtetsu Shin-yokohama Line, Sōtetsu Main Line, and Sōtetsu Izumino Line to Shin-Yokohama and Shōnandai commenced.

Passenger statistics
In fiscal 2019, the station was used by an average of 38,038 passengers daily.

Surrounding area
Wakaba Station lies on the boundary between the two cities of Sakado and Tsurugashima.
 * Kagawa Nutrition University Sakado Campus
 * Yamamura International High School
 * University of Tsukuba Senior High School at Sakado
 * Wakaba Walk Shopping Centre
 * Xien Ten Gong, the largest Taoist temple in Japan
 * Fujimi Industrial Estate

Bus services
The north side of the station is served by the "Tsuru Wagon" community minibus service operated by the city of Tsurugashima, and by the "Sakacchi Wagon" (Miyoshino Line) community minibus service operated by the city of Sakado.