There is a place in Hokkaido where you can enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime event: a barbecue on a train platform.

Quoted from @hitoritabiken's post

The photo shows a barbecue being held on a train platform, with seafood such as scallops and shrimp, and delicious-looking vegetables such as asparagus and pumpkin being grilled on a wire rack. The post has garnered nearly 3,000 likes, with users saying things like, "I want to go!" and "A barbecue on a train platform is great."

BBQ on the platform! A unique experience you can enjoy next to the train

The post was made by Yuto Kurihara, also known as the "Solo Travel Research Group," which introduces various regions of Japan that are filled with travel emotion and nostalgia. Kurihara visited Hirafu Station, located south of Kutchan Station. Located at the foot of Mount Yotei, this station is a quiet local station surrounded by greenery.

It's surprising that in such a place, you can actually spread out a wire mesh on the platform and have a barbecue. The sight of fragrant smoke rising as the train pulls in is quite magical.

"The people on the train must be surprised," says Kurihara. Indeed, if someone who doesn't know what's going on would see it, they'd no doubt take a second look and think, "They're having yakiniku on the platform?!" However, this is a barbecue that follows proper procedures.

A night at Hirafu Station Inn, a rare lodging facility located inside a train station

Hirafu Station is home to the Eki no Yado Hirafu, a lodging facility that was renovated from a former guardhouse, and only guests staying there can experience a BBQ on the platform. There are two guest rooms on the second floor of the lodging that overlook the platform. Open the window and you'll see the rails and trains right in front of you - a location that railway enthusiasts will adore. The BBQ on the platform allows you to experience "station time" that can only be experienced here, with the lights illuminating the platform at night and the quiet sound of trains arriving in the morning.

The section of the line where Hirafu Station is located is scheduled to be closed in the future. However, travelers still visit the area.

Unfortunately, the Hakodate Main Line and Yama Line section where Hirafu Station is located is scheduled to be closed due to the extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen. There are concerns about the future of this inn, but when Kurihara spoke to the owner, he said, "Since the decision to close was made, the number of guests has increased." Even now, the inn continues to attract attention from travel enthusiasts all over the country.

The platform is surrounded by quiet forests and mountains, and the sound of the train is there. A special time flows at Hirafu Station at the foot of Mt. Yotei, where the ordinary and the extraordinary intersect.