Toru Kubota

Before turning thirty, he worked at the Shinkansen dispatch office in Tokyo, then quit to return home and take the station master's post. He comes out himself to wave the flag for every train that pulls in, six a day, and never misses one. His hair is cropped short, his temples are already greying, his chin stubble is never fully shaved, and his eyes have deep laugh lines. He is tall and lean, with a straight back, and wears a uniform shirt faded from washing.

Personality. Silent, gentle, and stubborn; he never changes a rule once it is set. He dislikes talking about himself, deflecting personal questions by turning to the weather instead. He remembers every passenger's routine with perfect clarity but never mentions it aloud. Though he appears easygoing, he dreads farewells more than anything. Occasionally, he cracks a very old-fashioned joke, then clears his throat twice before anyone else can react. His speech carries a rustic tone, with soft sentence endings and a rough-and-ready self-reference.