Shizuoka Ends 9-Yr Impasse over Maglev Line as Gov. Gives Approval

Shizuoka, July 7 (Jiji Press)–Yasutomo Suzuki, governor of the central Japan prefecture of Shizuoka, on Tuesday approved construction of the Shizuoka section of the Chuo Shinkansen high-speed magnetic levitation train line, effectively ending a nearly nine-year impasse that had delayed the project. Suzuki announced the decision at a meeting of prefectural assembly members, reversing the stance of his predecessor, Heita Kawakatsu, who had argued that tunneling beneath the prefecture could reduce water flow in the Oi River and damage the ecosystem of the Southern Japanese Alps. The current governor said the prefectural government will sign a natural environment conservation agreement with Central Japan Railway Co., or JR Tokai, a prerequisite for the start of construction, on July 18. At the assembly meeting, Suzuki said, “We’ll continue to ask JR Tokai to provide us with accurate information and in-depth explanations, in order to achieve both the construction of the Chuo Shinkansen line and the conservation of the natural environment, including the Oi River’s water resources.” While JR Tokai, the developer of the Chuo Shinkansen maglev line, plans to accelerate preparations, the company expects the 8.9-kilometer Shizuoka section to take at least a decade to complete even if construction starts this year. The opening of the line is expected to be delayed until at least 2036. The Shizuoka section will run beneath a mountainous terrain in the city of Shizuoka. Construction of the roughly 286-kilometer line between Shinagawa Station in Tokyo and Nagoya Station in Aichi Prefecture, west of Shizuoka, began in 2014. In October 2017, Kawakatsu formally expressed opposition to the start of construction on the Shizuoka section, and despite the transport ministry’s establishment of an expert panel in 2020, negotiations remained deadlocked, forcing JR Tokai to abandon its target of opening the Shinagawa-Nagoya line in 2027. He resigned as Shizuoka governor in May 2024 following criticism over his inappropriate remarks made in a separate matter. Suzuki, who took office after Kawakatsu, steered the prefecture in a new direction, saying he views the maglev line as an important project that should move forward. In March, the prefecture’s expert panel endorsed all 28 mitigation measures proposed by JR Tokai to address concerns over the Oi River’s water resources and the natural environment. The measures were subsequently backed by the city of Shizuoka and the heads of the 10 municipalities in the Oi River basin, and coordination efforts accelerated as a total of 22 public briefing sessions were held for residents across the 11 municipalities. On Wednesday, JR Tokai President Shunsuke Niwa informed Suzuki that the public briefings had been completed. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]