Kokudo Station in Yokohama remains largely unchanged since 1930

When Albert Einstein came up with his famous theory of relativity, he had no idea that the very proof of his research already exists in Japan. All Mr. Einstein would have to do is visit the obscure Kokudo Station, little-known station on the JR Tsurumi Line that runs through Yokohama, and he would find himself transported into a working time machine.

But I won’t bore you with scientific explanations about this and that. Instead, follow me via pictures through this tunnel of warped space-time that is Kokudo Station.

It’s 3:15:08 PM, and here we are, in front of the entry point. Notice how the closer we get, the slower the time becomes.

It is now year 1930, and Kokudo Station was built.

Right before we enter, we notice something unusual on the balcony on the right side. Let’s take a closer look.

It’s May 29, 1945, daytime. American military firebombs Yokohama with a large formation of 517 B-29 bombers, escorted by 101 P-51 fighters. About 8,000 to 10,000 people died, and 42 percent of the city was burnt to ashes. The scars on the balcony are a chilling reminder of that fateful day — they are believed to be bullet holes from a strafing attack by a P-51 Mustang.

We have now stepped into the tunnel. Immediately on the left side, we are greeted by a modern vending machine in perfect working order. Surely it’s important to stay hydrated on a journey through time.

Wait a minute! Is it possible that Dr. Emmett Brown from Back to the Future was already here at some point in time? This cable hanging from the light looks suspiciously like the rig he used to generate 1.21 gigawatts of electricity when the lightning struck the clock tower!

A few steps from the hanging cable, on our left there is an unstaffed, high-tech checkpoint for time travelers. Let’s pass through it and see where it takes us.

We are on a dark stairway. It looks like this is some kind of a detour, or a trap.

Wow, scary! A metallic black crow! This could only mean one thing — the poor bird flew into the tunnel, never found its way back out and was flattened into a two dimensional form by intense gravitational forces. Who knows how long has it been hanging here like that.

There are various pipes attached to the walls. This one in particular is so old it has turned into a mummified tree bark.

On top of the stairs, as I suspected, there is a detour that takes us to a platform. Apparently, this is where the train stops by every few minutes, picks up the travelers and teleports them into other locations, or dimensions.

Further down the platform, there is a strange object.

What could this mean? A cryptic message full of abbreviations — it can only be a language from a future civilization, and it doesn’t look very friendly.

This place is getting uncomfortable. Let’s go back down, we need to find the exit.

Oh wait, a yakitori restaurant? Here? And what is this huge propeller next to the anti-coronavirus disinfection rack? It probably works as some kind of a fusion power generator.

We are back down, exiting the checkpoint. Hmm, another vending machine, in case you aren’t hydrated enough yet.

There is light visible at the end of the tunnel, but it will still take a while to get there. Another brave traveler seems to be entering the tunnel. I can feel the time is slowing down even more.

We are now in the middle. It has become almost completely dark, barely any light can enter, and time has come to a complete standstill.

On the right side, there is a bright, narrow opening.

Is this another secret detour? Let’s walk through it to find out.

For a brief moment, we are now outside the opening. This must be a camouflaged shortcut in and out of the tunnel, for whatever reason.

Look at these plants, stretched from gravity. They seem to have taken over the wall of the tunnel. Going back in…

We are almost at the exit point. Can you see those posters with faces of politicians straight ahead? They seem to be strategically placed at various points in this tunnel. Must be trying to tell us something, or maybe they’re sponsoring this place.

Time is accelerating as we approach the exit…

We are now outside, alive and well, back in 2021. What a trip! Let’s check the time: 3:15:11 PM. Almost the same as when we entered the black hole. Perfect! The time machine experiment worked — we traveled into the past but only 3 seconds have passed outside!

Kokudo Station serves a reminder what happens when you leave a place largely unchanged for over 90 years. It becomes a magnet for time travelers — with cameras and blogs to write.

 

Today’s bonus: for comparison, I found a few old photographs from 1930s, taken inside the station. (Source) The station has been repaired over time, but overall it hasn’t really changed much.