Memories of Ibaraki: Living Beside a Train Station

In all my years in Japan, I’ve only ever lived right next to a train station once, and that was during my time in Mito City, Ibaraki. My apartment was literally just a few minutes' walk from the main entrance of Mito Station. Better yet, there was a pedestrian walkway over the tracks right across the road, which meant I could easily enjoy the convenience of both sides of the station.

At the time, my job was based at the Ibaraki Kenchō, the prefectural government building, which was a bus ride away. However, I was usually only in the office one or two days a week, as the rest of my time was spent traveling all over the prefecture. Living right by the Joban Line wasn’t just convenient; it was essential, serving as my main link to the smaller local lines that carried me out to the far, rural corners of Ibaraki. On weekends the JR Joban Line Limited Express would whisk me into Tokyo or the Kashima Rinkai Railway Oarai-Kashima line would roll me to the seaside resort of Oarai. 

What I liked most about living near a train station was, of course, being so easily connected. Beyond the commute, though, I loved having everything right on my doorstep. While small rural stations often have very little around them, living beside a major transport hub like Mito Station brought with it amenities galore. Everything was just a few minutes' walk away; the supermarket, hairdresser, post office, restaurants, clothes shops, and more.

Do you live near a train station? And /or have you in the past?