Kokura Station and the Monorail Entering the Terminal

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Kokura Station Is Almost Too Cool

The Monorail Charges Right In!

One of the reasons I wanted to come to Kokura Station was to see its impressive station building, which is integrated with the monorail station.

Completed in 1998, the Kokura Terminal Building is a mixed-use complex combining shopping facilities and a hotel, with the monorail station built above the concourse.

Apparently, before this station was built, the monorail only ran as far as the previous stop, but the completion of this terminal finally brought service into Kokura Station.

The monorail entering the station building of Kokura Station

The idea of placing a station above the concourse of the station building is not only convenient but also visually striking, and I thought it made for a wonderfully cool station.

Taking in the View from Saint City, the Former Sogo Department Store, Too

Right in front of this striking station stands a large commercial building called Saint City.

This building originally operated as Kokura Sogo, a branch of the Sogo department store chain, but after closing, it went through various twists and turns and is now run as a mixed-use building with retail tenants and offices.

True to a Sogo department store that opened in 1993, the escalators come in paired sets.

The grand elevator hall, finished with marble, was still intact as well.

On the upper floors, there is also an atrium with a waterfall, and the lavish, bubble-era atmosphere unfolds with no fewer than four spiral escalators.

Unfortunately, it was being used as an early voting site for the election when I visited, so I could hardly look around. That was a shame, but there was nothing to be done, so I at least made sure to ride the spiral escalator.

From Saint City’s rest area, I could take in a full view of Kokura Station,