The old station building is being illuminated at JR Matsunoodera Station in Yoshizaka, Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture. The design was created by students from the nearby Maizuru National College of Technology, with the theme of next year's zodiac sign, ''Tatsu.'' The wooden station building, which is a registered tangible cultural property of the country, is decorated with glittering colors.
The old station building was built in 1922 when the Obama Line opened. The illumination is a project of the NPO that manages the station building, ''Forever with the Station Building,'' and is the second illumination to be held after last year's commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Obama Line. The NPO is enthusiastic, saying, ''We want to make this a regular winter event.''
This year, volunteers from Maizuru National College of Technology came up with the design from scratch, and about 20 people created a dragon shape using LED lights and decorated the station building. A second-year male student (17 years old) said, ''My hope is that the station and surrounding area will become even more exciting.''
The lights will be lit from sunset to midnight during the period until January 13, 2024.
