The popular Hakone Tozan Railway section between Hakone-Yumoto Station and Gora Station in Japan has been suspended due to severe damage caused by Typhoon Hagibis. Currently, buses are being used as a temporary alternative, and it may be difficult to resume service before the end of the year. This could impact the Hakone area, which is about to welcome an influx of tourists for the upcoming maple viewing season.
Hagibis made landfall on Japan’s Izu Peninsula on the 12th and swept through eastern Japan. According to Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun, the typhoon brought heavy rainfall, with 120 locations across the country recording their highest 12-hour rainfall totals. Among them, Hakone Town in Kanagawa Prefecture received 729.5 mm of rain in just 12 hours, the highest in Japan, with total rainfall exceeding 1,000 mm.
Japan’s Nikkei reported that the Hakone Tozan Railway consists of a “railway line” and a “cable car line.” The latter resumed operations on the 16th, but the former remains suspended due to landslides between Hakone-Yumoto Station and Gora Station. The disaster caused the loss of railway piers and damage to utility poles. As a long-term suspension is inevitable, shuttle buses have been arranged to transport passengers between the two stations.
A spokesperson for the Hakone Tozan Railway Company stated that although the damage occurred only in a specific section, resuming service is quite challenging.
Japan’s Asahi Shimbun reported that a company official said repairing the typhoon damage will take a long time, and resuming service on the Hakone-Yumoto to Gora section “will be difficult before the end of the year.”
Lake cruise boats, another popular mode of transportation for Hakone sightseeing, have also been suspended due to the swollen Lake Ashi flooding docks and other facilities.
Japan’s TV Asahi reported that Hakone is about to welcome an influx of tourists for the maple viewing season, but the extensive damage caused by Hagibis could deal a serious blow to local tourism.
Japan’s Kanagawa Shimbun reported that the damage to the Hakone Tozan Railway from Typhoon Hagibis is comparable to that caused by Typhoon IONE, which struck eastern Japan in 1948.
Typhoon Hagibis brought over 1,000 mm of rainfall to Hakone, breaking local observational records, and led to the suspension of the 8.9 km section of the Hakone Tozan Railway between Hakone-Yumoto Station and Gora Station.
In September 1948, Typhoon IONE brought torrential rains that caused flooding in western Kanagawa Prefecture. The Hakone Tozan Railway suffered damage including the destruction of bridge piers, and it took nearly a year to rebuild the railway and resume operations.
Hakone will soon enter the maple viewing season in November. The Hakone Tozan Railway Company stated that while the suspension at this time is regrettable, safety remains the top priority in their response.
(CNA)