HYOGO, Jan 07 (News On Japan) - The Hankyu Takarazuka Line is notable for having an unusually large number of stations named after shrines and temples, a feature that reflects a distinctive approach to railway-led urban development in Japan.
Kiyoshikojin Seicho-ji Temple in Takarazuka has a history spanning more than 1,100 years and has long attracted worshippers as a temple dedicated to the kitchen deity, believed to bring prosperity to households. Its name is also used for Kiyoshikojin Station on the Hankyu Takarazuka Line. Along the line’s 19 stations, four are named after shrines or temples, a proportion that is high by national standards.
Behind this lies the vision of Hankyu’s founder, Kobayashi Ichizo, who treated shrines and temples as focal points for community building when developing areas along the railway. At the time, temples were not only places of worship but also centers of culture and entertainment, making them powerful attractions for drawing people to newly developed neighborhoods.
At Sone Station, for example, Toko-in, also known as Hagi-no-dera, was relocated to serve as a spiritual anchor for the surrounding area. More than a religious institution, temples in those days functioned as local administrative centers, providing aid to the needy and offering basic education to children who could not read or write. Centering town development around such institutions made it easier to form stable communities and increase railway usage.
According to railway journalist Ihara, while other private railways such as Nankai or Keihan are often associated with famous pilgrimage destinations, the actual number of shrine- or temple-named stations on those lines is relatively small. In contrast, having four such stations out of 19 places the Takarazuka Line among the highest in terms of proportion nationwide.
The reason, Ihara explains, becomes clear when looking at how the line was laid out. Rather than relocating religious institutions to suit the railway, Hankyu routed the tracks to pass close to long-established shrines and temples, building stations nearby and adopting their names. As a result, the Takarazuka Line features more curves than the straighter Kobe Line, reflecting how the tracks were “woven” around existing sacred sites.
This close relationship between railways and religious institutions was not unique to Hankyu. Other operators also relied on temples and shrines as sources of patronage and financial stability, underscoring how deeply intertwined rail transport and faith-based sites were in early private railway expansion.
Source: Television OSAKA NEWS
