Wataze Station

Wataze Station (渡瀬駅) is a passenger railway station located in the city of Miyama, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by JR Kyushu.

Lines
The station is served by the Kagoshima Main Line and is located 139.1 km from the starting point of the line at Mojiko. Only local services on the line stop at the station.

Layout
The station consists of two side platforms serving two tracks. The platforms are not opposed. Platform 2 was formerly an island platform but the centre track between it and platform 1 has been removed. The station building is a modern concrete building but has been built in traditional Japanese style with a double tiled roof. It houses a waiting room, a ticket window, an automatic ticket vending machine, a Sugoca charge machine and card reader. There is an accessibility ramp to the station building, but a footbridge is needed to access platform 2.

The ticket window is staffed by a kan'i itaku agent and is equipped with a POS machine but does not have a Midori no Madoguchi facility.

History
The privately run Kyushu Railway had opened a stretch of track between Hakata and the (now closed) Chitosegawa temporary stop on 11 December 1889. After several phases of expansion northwards and southwards, by February 1891, the line stretched from Kurosaki south to Kurume. In the next phase of expansion, the track was extended south with Takase (now Tamana opening as the new southern terminus on 1 April 1891. Wataze was opened a few months later, on 7 June 1891, as an additional station between Kurume and Takase. When the Kyushu Railway was nationalized on 1 July 1907, Japanese Government Railways (JGR) took over control of the station. On 12 October 1909, the station became part of the Hitoyoshi Main Line and then on 21 November 1909, part of the Kagoshima Main Line. With the privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR), the successor of JGR, on 1 April 1987, JR Kyushu took over control of the station.

Surrounding area

 * Miyama City Hall Takada Branch
 * Miyama City Futagawa Elementary School