Amid a declining population, an increasing number of stations on Japan's local train lines are switching to unmanned operations as railway companies target the bottom line amid decreasing passenger numbers.
The trend is evident even among the nation's biggest operators, with nearly 60% of the 4,368 stations operated by the six Japan Railways Group passenger companies now running without staff.
However, unmanned stations bring with them their own set of concerns, not least compromises in convenience and safety.