The Untold Story of the Gdansk Station replica in Saga, Japan.

In Imari City, Saga Prefecture, there is a little-known spot that is sure to delight Polish people. Why on earth was a train station from the port city of Gdańsk in northern Poland recreated in Saga, Japan 8,000 km away?

As someone who lived in Gdańsk, when I arrived in Imari city I immediately thought, "I've seen this clock tower somewhere before," as Royal Chester Imari stood out. It turns out it's not a train station, but a wedding venue. When I went inside, there were articles about it in a local Polish magazine and the painting of Gdansk Station displayed.

So why is there a replica of Gdansk Station in Poland in Saga?

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Gdansk Central Station

The story goes back to 1983. It all began with a magazine. A businessman from a wedding venue management company happened to pick up a copy of the magazine "World's Window" on the train during a business trip. There was an article about Gdańsk Station, with its red brick building and clock tower. He was instantly captivated by its appearance.

Gdansk

"I wonder if it's possible to build a building like this in Japan?" That "love at first sight" was apparently the beginning of it all. At the time, of course, there was no Internet, the world was in the midst of the Cold War, and Poland was effectively under the influence of the Soviet Union. As a result, it was nearly impossible to obtain design information for Gdańsk Station.

Still not giving up, he sent an artist friend to Gdańsk to draw sketches on the spot, at a time when it was forbidden to even sketch, let alone photograph, government facilities.

In this situation, He desperately bought up photo books of Gdansk Station, somehow managed to make sketches, and through trials and errors, they created the building from scratch using the limited materials available.

Inside Royal Chester Imari.

Even people from Saga pass by this building without noticing. When I learned that it was actually a replica of a train station in faraway Poland, and when I learned its backstory, it made me want to spread the story to the world, especially because Saga is next to my hometown Fukuoka.

If you ever have the opportunity to talk to a Polish person, please tell them this story. I'm sure you'll see their surprised faces.