In Japan, people use the term “hikyō-eki” to refer to remote stations. The term became popular in the 1990s. At that time, Takanobu Ushiyama, a writer with a great love for railways, wrote about stories on his train. From there, a movement to find remote train stations also began. Photo: Flickr. According to Atlas Obscura, Koboro Station in Toyoura, Hokkaido is the most famous spot on the list of “hikyō-eki”. It fits in the 100 m long space between the two tunnels. Photo: 1geso1. The three corners of the station are steep cliffs with dense forest trees. The other corner faces Uchiura Bay. If you want to go to the beach, you will have to follow a very bad road because it is not repaired. This station can only be reached by train or boat. Photo: 1geso1. Koboro Station has been open since 1943 – the time of the Pacific War. It was used as a signal station for steam locomotives transporting bombs and ammunition. It was not until 1987 that Koboro became an ordinary railway station. In an earlier period, the station was abandoned. Photo: Yoshiro.dagane. Currently, the station welcomes about 5 guests/day, most of them are train enthusiasts or local fishermen. Around 1960, the area around Koboro station also had a resort, camping by the sea. However, all of this gradually drifted into oblivion, leaving Koboro secluded in the mountains. Photo: Alex Bloom. In 2015, Koboro Station was almost closed. However, the town of Toyoura has funded the maintenance of the station to turn it into a tourist attraction. Photo: Dajamann. According to Atlas Obscura, the Hokkaidu railway company (which owns Koboro station) has not promised to maintain this station. Even so, at least the promotion for Koboro has been quite successful. Photo: Atlas Obscura.

Among them, it is impossible to ignore Okiku, also known as “Haunted Doll” in Japan. A series of terrifying phenomena with no explanation happened around this doll. Even though the story happened over 100 years ago, people still shudder at the mention of Okiku dolls. In Japan, people still talk about the legend of a doll that grows hair with the soul of a girl – the ghost doll Okiku. Close-up of Okiku doll that can grow hair There have been many legends about Okiku in the past, but the story that people spread widely is that it was bought by 17-year-old boy – Eikichi Suzuki for his sister in 1918. This doll was bought by her. 3 year old baby Kikuko loves it. Every day no matter where he goes, Kikuko takes it with him and even hugs it when he goes to sleep. After an incident of cold and high fever, little Kikuko passed away. From there, things started to get weird. For the past 100 years, Okiku’s hair has continued to grow, despite being trimmed once a year. If before, Okiku’s hair was just chin-length, now it’s knee-length. Although often cut short, but the hair does not stop growing. They think this is a sign that in the doll there is the soul of the little girl Kikuko. Mannenji temple in Hokkaido In 1938, Kikuko’s family decided to move to another place. They think the best way is to send it to Mannenji temple, in the town of Iwamizawa , Hokkaido. Also share its secrets with the monks. Since then, Okiku has remained in the temple. After hearing the legend of this magical doll, many people came here to see it, but they were not allowed to take pictures. The Okiku doll’s brain continues to grow and it could grow longer if the monks don’t trim it regularly. One of the monks at the temple said he started doing so after having a dream that Okiku asked him to cut her hair. So far, no one can explain why the doll’s hair keeps growing so long. Some sources also believe that the doll’s hair has been tested and concluded that it is a child’s hair, although this information has not been confirmed. The story of the Okiku doll has since become the inspiration for traditional Japanese novels, films and plays. Okiku dolls with their hair growing day by day are placed in the Mannenji temple in Hokkaido. Because dolls still exist to this day and the phenomenon of long hair still occurs. So many people have come up with many theories to try to explain from the scientific point of view this legend. The first hypothesis that came up was that some of the cells weren’t completely dead yet. The hair glue has inadvertently become a source of nutrition for these cells to continue to grow. However, this theory has a flaw that cannot explain why hair can grow to shoulder length. In addition, changes in temperature and humidity from the surrounding environment also lead to rapid hair growth. Besides, it is also said that the long hair is actually because the doll is built with long curls but only reveals a short part, the remaining hair is hidden in the doll’s head. However, these explanations are still not fully convincing because the doll’s hair is in fact neatly combed and tied – something that would not be possible if the doll’s head still had long hair. Although science is very advanced, but because of people’s spiritual beliefs, scientific researchers cannot access to carry out the necessary research to definitively explain the mysterious phenomenon. For that reason, up to now, all explanations have only been hypothesized. Okiku doll’s hair continues to grow and it can grow longer if the monks don’t trim it regularly. One of the monks at the temple said he started doing it after having a dream that Okiku asked him to cut her hair. To this day, no one has been able to explain why the doll’s hair keeps growing so long.

In Japan, people use the term “hikyō-eki” to refer to remote stations. The term became popular in the 1990s. At that time, Takanobu Ushiyama, a writer with a great love for railways, wrote about stories on his train. From there, a movement to remote train stations also began. Photo: Flickr. According to Atlas Obscura, Koboro Station in Toyoura, Hokkaido is the most famous spot on the list of “hikyō-eki”. It fits in the 100 m long space between the two tunnels. Photo: 1geso1. The three corners of the station are steep cliffs with dense forest trees. The other corner faces Uchiura Bay. If you want to go to the beach, you will have to follow a very bad road because it is not repaired. This station can only be reached by train or boat. Photo: 1geso1. Koboro Station has been open since 1943 – the time of the Pacific War. It was used as a signal station for steam locomotives transporting bombs and ammunition. It was not until 1987 that Koboro became an ordinary railway station. In an earlier period, the station was abandoned. Photo: Yoshiro.dagane. Currently, the station welcomes about 5 guests/day, most of them are train enthusiasts or local fishermen. Around 1960, the area around Koboro station also had a resort, camping by the sea. However, all of this gradually drifted into oblivion, leaving Koboro secluded in the mountains. Photo: Alex Bloom. In 2015, Koboro Station was almost closed. However, the town of Toyoura has funded the maintenance of the station to turn it into a tourist attraction. Photo: Dajamann. According to Atlas Obscura, the Hokkaidu railway company (which owns Koboro station) has not promised to maintain this station. Even so, at least the promotion for Koboro has been quite successful. Photo: Atlas Obscura.

It is not difficult to find bananas in Japan as they are sold in any supermarket or convenience store. Photo: ABC. However, bananas are still a rare fruit in the land of the rising sun, because 99.98% of bananas in this country are imported. Only 0.02% of the bananas on the market are grown locally. Photo: Japan Times. It is quite surprising that these few bananas come from Hokkaido – the coldest area in Japan even though bananas are a tropical fruit. Photo: Soranews24. The type of banana grown in Hokkaido is called 946 and the price is not cheap. Photo: Soranews24 The price of a 946 banana is 1,080 Yen, equivalent to 230,000 VND, 20 times the price of an imported banana in Japanese grocery stores. Photo: Soranews24 Even a box of three bananas is more expensive than buying three individual fruits because there is also the cost of packaging as a gift. Photo: Soranews24 Accordingly, a box is 4,860 Yen (about more than one million dong). The price surprised many people. Photo: Soranews24 Japan’s 946 bananas are quite large in size, equivalent in length but “fatter” than bananas imported from other countries. Photo: Soranews24 Like most fruits in Japan, banana 946 is grown with a clean process, without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. They have a sweet but not overpowering taste, with just the right amount of moisture and scent. Photo: Soranews24 In particular, banana peels are thinner than regular bananas and are described as “thin enough to be eaten”. Even 946 banana peels can be sautéed like the traditional Japanese vegetable kinpira gobo. Photo: Soranews24 Video: 9x boy is passionate about growing clean bananas Source: VTV24

Bananas are not uncommon in Japan, in the sense that they can be found in any supermarket as well as at any home. Bananas are also one of the most commonly eaten fruits in this country. However, it is true that bananas grown in Japan are super rare because 99.98% of bananas that everyone eats in Japan are imported. However, that statistic means that 0.02% of Japanese bananas are grown domestically, and we were quite shocked to learn that some of those 0.02% came from Hokkaido. Hokkaido, Japan. Yes, Hokkaido is a northernmost prefecture in Japan, which experiences winters under snow cover and has the lowest temperature and humidity of any place in Japan throughout the year. But they grow bananas in the Hokkaido town of Kushiro, we decide what they taste like. However, as many people suspect, these bananas are not cheap. They are called Bananas 946 and cost 1,080 yen (equivalent to 227,000 VND) per fruit, about 20 times the price of an imported banana at a Japanese grocery store. And what if you splashed your money on a box of three bananas like us? That will cost you 4,860 yen (almost 1.1 million). However, you will get a nice box, with individually wrapped bananas tucked away in the straw mulch underneath. The covers also have air vents so that the bananas can continue to ripen during their transport. We opened up a pack and the first thing that caught our attention was the size of the 946 banana that is exceptionally large. Imported supermarket banana (top) vs. Banana 946 (bottom). But we are not Victorian nobles who buy tropical fruit for decorative purposes. Food is to taste and it’s time to find out! Banana 946 instantly makes your taste buds feel its presence. Cultivated without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers, they taste sweet but not overpowering. The banana had moisture and richness, and the taste test left us completely satisfied. Not only does their area of ​​origin make up the 946 banana’s uniqueness. They also have a remarkably thin shell, so thin that you can eat them. However, the peel of the banana has a rather bitter taste. However, this banana peel is said to be very nutritious, and distributor 946 Bananas recommends leaving the bananas unshelled if you make a smoothie, or even slicing and stir-frying the peel just like a traditional Japanese vegetable dish. Copy. The 946 banana can be purchased through an online store here.