The Kamisunagawa Line, which transported coal and passengers as the "only branch line of the Hakodate Main Line" and was the driving force behind the development of Kamisunagawa Town, was established in 1919 as the former Mitsui Dedicated Railway as a means of transporting coal.
Near Kamisunagawa Station, the final stop on the Kamisunagawa side of the line, there were coal mine facilities such as a loading dock and coal dressing machines, which supported the development of Kamisunagawa as a coal transportation hub. As time went by, the unique atmosphere created by the coal mining facilities made Kamisunagawa Station a location for movies and TV dramas, and the station was chosen as a stage for famous productions and sometimes as a filming location for important scenes.
The station building was moved to its current location after the Kamisunagawa Line was discontinued in 1994, but the timetable, ticket gates, etc. remain as they were, as much of the fictional town of "Kagibetsu," where the TV drama "Yesterday at Kagibetsu" (broadcast in 1984) was set, was filmed in Kamisunagawa Town and Kamisunagawa Station was used as its station (Kagibetsu Station), The timetable and ticket gates have been preserved, and photos taken during the filming are on display.