Japan’s newest bullet train line linking Nagano and Kanazawa started service on March 14 after more than 20 year period of construction. A series of ceremonies took place in stations on the 228km line and the relevant stakeholders celebrated the much-anticipated opening. The travel time from Tokyo to Kanazawa is reduced to two and a half hours. The inauguration is expected to increase the number of visitors from Tokyo to Hokuriku region and to boost the local economy.

First planned in 1973, a part of the line from Takasaki to Nagano Station opened in 1997. The construction of the line extended to Kanazawa launched in 1992. At the ceremony at Kanazawa Station, the current terminal station, Transport Minister Akihiro Ota expressed his hope for the region’s development. Municipalities along the line are looking to making the most of the benefits that the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line will bring and inviting investment in the region. (2015/03/17)