Hon-Chiba Station

infobox japan station
name=本千葉
namerom=Hon-Chiba
pref=Chiba
city=Chiba
ward=Chūō
address=1 Nagazu
jaloc=千葉県千葉市中央区長洲一丁目
open=1896
oldname=Samukawa
presentname=1902
line=Uchibō Line
Sotobō Line
operator=East Japan Railway Company

Nihongo|Hon-Chiba station|本千葉駅|Hon-Chiba-eki is a train station on the Sotobō Line operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East), located in Nagazu 1-chōme, Chūō-ku, Chiba.

tation layout

Hon-Chiba station has two sets of tracks running around an island platform. The station is elevated, with the station building below. The station is managed directly and has a Midori no Madoguchi ticket office. The east side of the station is much busier than the west side.

Usage

As of 2005, an estimated 7,881 people use the station daily.Fact|date=July 2007

urroundings

Hon-chiba station is located in the heart of Chiba City. Rather than being located close to Chiba station, Chiba city hall, Chiba District Court, and other government buildings can instead be found to the north of this station. Kenchō-mae Station on the Chiba Urban Monorail Line 1 is within a few minutes walking distance.

Also nearby:
* Kashiwado Hospital
* Chiba-Chūō Bus Headquarters
* Chiba Budōkan
* Samukawa Shrine
* Itsukushima Shrine
* Chiba University (Medicine & Nursing)
* Chiba Prefectural Chiba Senior High School
* Chiba Prefectural Library
* Chiba Municipal Samukawa Elementary School

History

Hon-Chiba is among the older stations of Japan, having opened in 1896. At that time it was known as Samukawa station, but it was renamed in 1902. It was originally operated by the Bōsō Railway until the line was nationalized in 1907. After that, the station was variously a part of the Bōsō Line and the Bōsō East Line, until 1972 when the line was renamed to Sotobō Line, which it remains today. At the time of its construction, Hon-Chiba station was located close to present day Keisei Chiba-Chūō Station, but it was heavily damaged in World War II, and subsequently moved to its current location.

Timeline:
*Feb 25 1896 - Samukawa station begins operation upon the opening of the Bōsō Railway which stretched from Soga Station to Ōami Station.
*Jan 28 1902 - renamed Hon-Chiba station
*Sep 1 1907 - Bōsō Railway is nationalized
*Oct 12 1909 - the line is renamed Bōsō Line
*Apr 1 1933 - the Bōsō Line is completed from Chiba Station to Awa-Kamogawa Station and is subsequently renamed the Bōsō East Line
*Feb 1 1958 - during the efforts to repair the war damage in Chiba City, the station is rebuilt in its present location
*Jul 15 1960 - double track section is completed from Hon-Chiba station to Soga Station
*Apr 28 1963 - double track section is completed from Chiba Station to Hon-Chiba Station
*Jul 13 1968 - electric wires extended from Chiba station, past Hon-Chiba to Kisarazu
*Jul 15 1972 - Bōsōtō Line renamed Sotobō Line
*1972 - Emperor Hirohito used this station while on his way to inspect the Chiba Prefectural Cancer Center
*Apr 1 1987 - acquired by JR East following the division and privatization of JNR

Adjacent stations

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