70518-0025 - Kyoto Station

Kyoto Station in Kyoto.

Kyoto was first connected by railway to Osaka and Kobe in September 5, 1876 (Meiji 9), but the city’s terminal station wasn’t officially opened until February 5, 1877 (Meiji 10).

The building on this postcard is the second Kyoto Station, opened in 1914 (Taisho 3). The large square in front of the station was the site of the previous station. Until the end of WII, it was often used by imperial motorcades.

Although the station was large and designed to handle large crowds, 77 people were crushed to death here on January 8, 1934 (Showa 9) when several thousand people said farewell to navy recruits.

The building was destroyed by fire on November 18, 1950 (Showa 25) and replaced by a simple concrete building in 1952 (Showa 27).