Japan railway station stayed open for years so one girl could attend school

In many parts of the world, railway stations close when too few people use them. But in northern Japan, one small station stayed open for just one passanger.Kami-Shirataki Station, a tiny stop on the JR Hokkaido railway network in Hokkaido, continued operating because just one passenger relied on it everyday. That passenger was a schoolgirl who used the train to travel to and from school.The story drew attention around the world after the news that the railway company had decided to postpone closing the station until the student completed her studies, local media Asahi Shinbun had reported.While the station has since shut permanently, it remains one of Japan's best-known examples of putting people before numbers.Kami-Shirataki Station was located in a remote part of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island.