Echigo-Yuzawa Station, Interchange railway station in Yuzawa, Japan
Echigo-Yuzawa is a railway station in the mountain town of Yuzawa in Niigata Prefecture, where regional trains and Joetsu Shinkansen high-speed services stop. The complex has two ground-level island platforms plus one side platform for ordinary trains, and two elevated platforms dedicated to Shinkansen lines.
The station opened on November 1, 1925, serving local train routes in the region. In 1982 the facility expanded considerably when the Joetsu Shinkansen line began operation, cutting travel time to Tokyo.
The name Echigo refers to the old province that became Niigata Prefecture, while Yuzawa points to the hot springs found throughout this area. Inside the building, travelers can visit Ponshukan, a sake museum where they sample over one hundred varieties of rice wine produced locally.
The building sits about 199 kilometers (124 miles) from Tokyo and serves as a transfer point for buses to twelve nearby ski resorts and many hot spring areas. Travelers will find signs in several languages and can ask for connection details at the central information desk.
The building houses an onsen bathing facility where travelers can take a traditional Japanese bath between train connections. The hot water comes from natural sources that feed the surrounding mountains.
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