KYOTO - Plans to extend the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture to Shin-Osaka have been narrowed from eight proposals to two main options, the Obama-Kyoto route and the Maibara route, as concerns grow over construction costs and the potential impact on Kyoto's groundwater and cultural heritage.
The Hokuriku Shinkansen currently connects Tokyo with Tsuruga through the Hokuriku region. Under the Maibara proposal, the line would run from Tsuruga to Maibara in Shiga Prefecture and connect with the Tokaido Shinkansen for services through Kyoto to Shin-Osaka.
The competing Obama-Kyoto route would pass through Obama in Fukui Prefecture before continuing through Kyoto to Shin-Osaka. Within this proposal, two possible alignments remain under consideration: a north-south route beneath the area around Kyoto Station and an alternative route through Katsuragawa in southern Kyoto.
The Katsuragawa proposal has attracted attention because it would avoid passing directly beneath central Kyoto. The Hokuriku Shinkansen would bypass Kyoto Station and run north of JR Katsuragawa Station, with a new underground station likely to be constructed beneath the existing station.
Katsuragawa Station, located two stops and about five minutes by conventional train from Kyoto Station, opened in 2008. The surrounding district was redeveloped on the former site of Kirin Brewery's Kyoto plant and has emerged as a growing residential area popular with families.
A large shopping complex, Aeon Mall Kyoto Katsuragawa, opened beside the station in 2014 and includes a movie theater. Housing developments, including several apartment buildings now under construction, have expanded on the station's eastern side.
Kyoto eased building height restrictions in parts of the city three years ago to encourage more livable communities. Along a road east of Katsuragawa Station, the maximum permitted height was raised from 20 meters to 31 meters, paving the way for further development.
The area is also served by a nearby Hankyu Railway station, which opened in 2003 and provides access toward central Kyoto and Arashiyama. The Hankyu station is about 600 meters from JR Katsuragawa Station.
While some residents may welcome the economic activity brought by a new Shinkansen station, others are concerned that additional development could place pressure on a neighborhood promoted as a family-friendly residential community.
The Katsuragawa option would also present difficulties for passengers transferring to the Tokaido Shinkansen at Kyoto Station. Although the conventional train journey between Katsuragawa and Kyoto takes about six minutes, the transfer would be less convenient, particularly for tourists carrying luggage.
A new Shinkansen station beneath Katsuragawa could be built as deep as 50 meters underground because of existing roads, water pipes and other infrastructure. By comparison, Roppongi Station on Tokyo's Toei Oedo subway line, one of Japan's deepest subway stations, is 42.3 meters below ground and requires passengers to spend more than five minutes traveling between the platforms and street level.
The depth of the proposed station and tunnels is only one of the concerns surrounding the Obama-Kyoto route. Kyoto residents and businesses have expressed strong fears that underground construction could disturb the city's groundwater.
One restaurant operator near Katsuragawa said groundwater was used in cooking and warned that the business would be unable to operate if construction caused the water to become cloudy, adding that the operator was firmly opposed to the project.
Groundwater is widely used in Kyoto's traditional industries. About 97% of sake producers in the city rely on groundwater, while dyeing businesses and food manufacturers also use underground water supplies. Numerous wells remain in use across the city.
The proposed north-south alignment beneath Kyoto Station would pass closer to major groundwater channels and areas with a high concentration of wells than the Katsuragawa alignment. The Katsuragawa option is therefore viewed as potentially less disruptive to underground water flows.
Cultural heritage is another concern. Historic and cultural properties are more densely concentrated along the north-south route through central Kyoto, increasing fears that construction could damage sites or alter the surrounding environment.
The Kyoto Buddhist Organization has described the extension plan as a "folly of a thousand years," citing the possible effects on groundwater and the city's historic assets.
The north-south route would provide the most convenient access because a new station would be built near the existing JR Kyoto Station, allowing easier transfers. Kyoto now faces a choice between transportation convenience and reducing risks to groundwater, historic districts and cultural properties.
Kyoto's mayor expressed the difficulty of the decision in a social media post at 2:59 a.m. on July 9, saying he had reviewed official documents and was reconsidering five major concerns associated with the proposals and was unlikely to sleep.
The five issues were the impact on groundwater, traffic congestion during construction, the disposal of excavated soil, effects on history and culture, and the financial burden of the project.
Even if the Obama-Kyoto proposal is selected over the Maibara route, the city would still need to choose between the Kyoto Station north-south alignment and the Katsuragawa option.
The Maibara route remains under consideration largely because it is expected to cost less than the Obama-Kyoto alternative. Under the proposal, trains would travel from Tsuruga to Maibara and then partly operate directly on the Tokaido Shinkansen tracks through Kyoto to Shin-Osaka.
JR West has previously opposed the proposal because the Tokaido Shinkansen already operates on a highly congested timetable, leaving little capacity for additional Hokuriku services.
The planned Chuo Shinkansen magnetic-levitation line, however, could change that calculation. If the maglev line eventually opens between Nagoya and Shin-Osaka, some passengers now using the Tokaido Shinkansen may switch to the faster service, potentially creating space for Hokuriku Shinkansen trains.
The maglev extension to Shin-Osaka was once targeted for as early as 2037, although achieving that timetable has become increasingly difficult. Supporters of the Maibara route argue that the possible transfer of passengers to the maglev line should be considered when assessing future capacity on the Tokaido Shinkansen.
Kyoto city and prefectural officials have also campaigned for the maglev line to pass through Kyoto, arguing that bypassing Kyoto Station would be a major loss for Japan's efforts to promote international tourism. Proposals have also been raised to extend the maglev line farther to Kansai International Airport.
Some local residents have said they would like both the Hokuriku Shinkansen and the maglev line to serve Kyoto.
Nara Prefecture, however, maintains that the maglev line should pass near Nara, as indicated when the basic plan was established in 1973. Nara argues that a route through the prefecture would provide an alternative to the Tokaido Shinkansen during disasters, minimize construction and offer a straighter alignment than a route through Kyoto, allowing trains to travel at higher speeds.
Both the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension and the Chuo Shinkansen project require enormous investment. With material and labor costs continuing to rise, financing is expected to play a decisive role in determining which routes move forward.
Source: YOMIURI
