21 March 2024
Japan extends bullet train service opening up lesser-visited coastal region
The 125km Hokuriku Shinkansen extensions brings with it six new stops, and enters the coastal Fukui prefecture for the first time...
The 125km Hokuriku Shinkansen extensions brings with it six new stops, and enters the coastal Fukui prefecture for the first time...
Last Saturday (16 March), Japan’s bullet train network grew even bigger, following the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension.
The Southeast Asian nation is famous for its bullet trains, launching its first service in time for the 1964 Summer Olympics, 60 years ago this year.
Now, six further stops have been added to the new line between Kanazawa and Tsuruga, meaning passengers will be connected to Japan's Fukui region for the very first time via shinkansen.
The region of Fukui is associated with dinosaurs. This sculpture can be found outside Fukui City train station (Shutterstock)
The 125km extension will include stops at Komatsu and Kaga Onsen in Ishikawa, plus four more stops at Awara Onsen, Fukui, Echizen-Takefu and Tsuruga in Fukui.
The extension will also bring a speedier service between Tokyo and Fukui City, reducing the time by 33 minutes and making the journey 2 hours 51 minutes.
There will be two bullet train services available at different speeds, operating a total of 14 round trips per day between Tokyo and Tsuruga.
Tōjinbō Cliffs in Fukui is where you'll find unusual rock formations (Shutterstock)
It’s hoped the new service will reinvigorate tourism in the Fukui region, one of the least-visited part of Japan.
This coastal prefecture is perhaps best associated with dinosaurs. Around 80% of Japan’s dinosaur fossils have been found here, making it a fitting location for the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, in the city of Katsuyama. The museum receives around 900,000 visitors annually, and has recently undergone an extensive renovation in time to welcome passengers arriving on the new bullet train.
Furthermore, Fukui is home to the near 800-year-old temple complex of Eiheiji. Set 15km from Fukui City surrounded by forested mountains, Eiheji is still an active monastery with Buddhist monks walking its peaceful and sacred grounds.
Visit the Tōjinbō Cliffs to experience one of Japan's outstanding Natural Monuments. Along this 1km stretch of coastline is a collection of staggering rock-formed pillars, dramatically rising from the waves with some reaching up to 30-metres high.
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