Bullet Train Connects

With long-time ambition and tragic memory in the straits, people in Hokkaido welcomed the first bullet train from Honshu main island through a long underwater tunnel on Saturday. The train connected two islands, diminishing psychological distance between the old and new Japan. However, it is still unclear whether the high-speed railroad will be affordable for financially ailing railway company.

Under the Meiji regime in 19^th century, undeveloped Hokkaido Island, located in the northernmost of Japan, was recognized as a territory of Japan with rich resource of fishery or agriculture. Preparing against southward advance of Imperial Russia, Japanese government deployed farming troops in Hokkaido to cultivate frozen soil with sacrifice of indigenous people called Ainu. Hokkaido anyway became new frontier for enlightened islanders in the Far East.

Even with government-led development, Hokkaido was still left behind of civilized society of Japan. After World War II, Japanese government poured money into Hokkaido with a hope of reconstruction. In the fall of 1954, when transportation between Honshu and Hokkaido was limited to shuttle boat between Aomori and Hakodate, a huge hurricane sank five boats in the strait, taking 1430 lives. With determination not to repeat that tragedy, the government decided to dig a tunnel under the strait. That was the beginning of bullet train plan to Hokkaido.

It took 43 years to complete the plan. The tunnel had been used for local trains before the bullet train was ready to go to Hokkaido. Not to affect freight trains going through, the bullet train has to slowdown in the tunnel. That is why it takes over four hours for the bullet train to get Tokyo from Hakodate. While Tokaido Bullet Train connects Tokyo with Osaka in two and a half hours, enabling one-day round business trip, Hokkaido Bullet Train must be more suitable for vacation than for business use.

It is estimated that Hokkaido Bullet Train will produce annual ¥5 billion of deficit for the first three years. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism decided to lend infrastructure for the train to JR Hokkaido with as low fee as annual ¥110 million. It is ridiculously cheap compared to the price for Hokuriku Bullet Train, annual ¥24.5 billion, or Hachinohe-Aomori section of Tohoku Bullet Train, annual ¥7 billion. It is inevitable for Hokkaido to receive skepticism on its business.

To lessen its financial burden, JR Hokkaido reduces its local train in Hokkaido. While people in Hakodate will enjoy the benefit of bullet train, rest of the island will suffer from inconvenience of public transportation. Uneven distribution of wealth may devaluate that young island.