Kariwano Station was opened on August 21, 1904 on the Japanese Government Railways (JGR), serving the town of Kariwano. The JGR became the Japan National Railways (JNR) after World War II. The station was absorbed into the JR East network upon the privatization of the JNR on April 1, 1987. A new station building was completed in February 1990, which incorporates the offices of the local chamber of commerce and tourism office.
