Hokuriku Shinkansen Kanazawa ~ Tsuruga 16th Extension Opening|The long-awaited opening after a one-year delay.
On Saturday, March 16, 2024, the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Kanazawa ~ Tsuruga will finally open after a long period of anticipation and preparation. The opening marks an important milestone after a one-year delay that was abruptly announced by the government in November 2020. (Photo: ©JR West Japan)
With the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen Kanazawa ~ Tsuruga extension tomorrow, Saturday 16th, residents in the Tokyo metropolitan area, which will be connected from Tokyo to Tsuruga in 3 hours and 8 minutes at the fastest speed due to the opening of the line, are excited with anticipation as the next travel destination. Every day, major media outlets introduce sightseeing information in various places along the line. Immediately after the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen Kanazawa in 2015, I was involved in tourism PR for Tsuruga City, Awara City, and Sakai City in Fukui Prefecture, and I am deeply moved.
At that point, there was a lot of trial and error, even though preparations were underway for the opening in 2023, which is a long way off. From an outsider's point of view, it looked like they were going to open their doors within the next 2-3 years, and I could see that they were serious about preparing for it.
On November 11, 2020, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, which has jurisdiction over construction along the railway, made an unexpected announcement. The long-awaited opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen has been delayed for more than a year. The reason was said to be the construction of a tunnel connecting Ishikawa and Fukui and the delay in the construction of Tsuruga Station. There was a shock in the area along the railway. At that time, the whole country was in the mood of the Corona disaster, so do people in other regions remember?
The delay in construction also led to an increase in the total project cost of about 300 billion yen. However, it can be said that it is a problem that always occurs in large-scale projects involving the government. It was so sudden, and I could have suspected that there was a complex interest behind it. On the other hand, the main players are those who truly think about the community and are scrambling to prepare.
The one-year delay in opening was a major disappointment for local authorities, businesses, and residents. The governor of Fukui Prefecture said at the press conference that he was "outraged" and that the increase in the project budget "has to be questioned about the execution system," representing the feelings of many stakeholders. However, the characteristic of the Hokuriku people was perseverance. Later, when I asked a local tourism official, he said, "We will have one more year to prepare, and we will be able to focus on preparing for the reception system."
After a one-year delay, the Hokuriku Shinkansen Kanazawa ~ Tsuruga will finally be extended and opened on Saturday, March 16. The first outbound train is "Tsurugi No. 1" departing from "Kanazawa" at 6:00 ~ "Tsuruga" arriving at 6:57, and "Kagayaki No. 501" departing from "Tokyo" at 6:16 ~ arriving at "Tsuruga" at 9:34.
This delay has led to more than just an increase in waiting time. Tomorrow's opening marks the beginning of a new journey for the Hokuriku region. This historic moment will be remembered by local residents, tourists and people across the country.
Congratulations to all the people involved and the area along the line.
At last...
The opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen Kanazawa ~ Tsuruga is not only to transport people, but also to send people beyond Kanazawa, since the purpose of the Hokuriku Shinkansen has been to send people to Kanazawa, and it tickles the desire to travel farther.
On the other hand, along the Hokuriku Shinkansen, there are not only Fukui and Ishikawa, but also Toyama, Niigata, Nagano, and Gunma, all of which are attractive areas. Especially for travelers in the Tokyo metropolitan area, why not visit the unknown world beyond Kanazawa and visit the prefectures in front of it? Whether you separate the first half and the second half of the trip and the areas you visit on the same trip, or plan your trip at a different time. When the time comes, don't forget to visit the Noto Peninsula.
Now that winter is over and a new spring is coming with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen. The travel season is finally starting. Please go on a wonderful trip to Japan.
The following article was contributed by a staff member of the Tsuruga City Tourism Association in March last year. To understand the basics of Tsuruga.
