SHIZUOKA, Japan - Central Japan Railway Co. on Saturday signed an agreement with Shizuoka Prefecture under a prefectural ordinance, clearing a key hurdle for construction to begin on the only section of the new high-speed maglev line between Tokyo and Nagoya where work has yet to start.
Construction on the roughly 8.9-kilometer Shizuoka section, part of the Southern Alps Tunnel that straddles Yamanashi, Shizuoka and Nagano prefectures, could begin within the year after years of opposition by the previous governor over environmental impact concerns.
"We would like to prepare to begin construction as soon as possible. We will implement the promised environmental conservation measures and monitoring," Shunsuke Niwa, president of the company, known as JR Central, said at an official signing ceremony.
Shizuoka Gov. Yasutomo Suzuki said, "We hope to make the agreement effective by closely monitoring JR Central's actions."
The agreement under the prefecture's natural environment conservation ordinance requires JR Central to secure an amount of water equivalent to the tunnel groundwater expected to flow out of the prefecture, including by restricting water intake at upstream dams on the Oi River.
It also obliges the company to avoid and mitigate any adverse effects on the natural environment of the Southern Alps, properly dispose of any soil excavated during construction of the Southern Alps Tunnel, and immediately halt construction in the event of unexpected environmental damage.
The Oi River is a vital water source in Shizuoka, supplying irrigation water to the prefecture's rice paddies and signature tea fields.
The line's first leg from Tokyo's Shinagawa Station to Nagoya Station was originally planned to open in 2027, but JR Central conceded in March 2024 that it had given up on meeting the target amid the long-running opposition from former Gov. Heita Kawakatsu, leaving the new opening date uncertain.
