By Miyoko Ishigami
(with photos) MORIOKA, Japan, April 9 (KUNA) -- Kuwait''''s financial assistance to a tsunami-ravaged railway in northeastern Japan has brought back big smiles to local residents, train users, railway employees and people across the country, as Sanriku Railway made a complete comeback earlier this week with new railcars funded by Kuwait, three years after the earthquake-tsunami disaster.
To celebrate much-awaited full recovery of the lines on Sunday, memorial trains over the weekend carried excited passengers who were chosen by lottery. The company has two lines -- the North Rias Line and the South Rias Line, running on a 107.6-km track along the Pacific coast of Iwate Prefecture. But operations were suspended after its train cars, rails, bridges and stations were wrecked by a magnitude 9.0-quake and ensuring tsunami on March 11, 2011.
Kohei Sawasato, a 19-year-old conductor serving in a memorial train showed beaming smile while serving the passengers.
"I have used Sanriku Railway since my childhood, and joining this company has naturally becomes my dream," Sawasato, who entered Sanriku Railway one year after the disaster, told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).
"In the past years, we worked very hard towards restart of full-scale operations," the young employee said. "I tried to stay cheerful during that difficult time because our railway is a symbol of the area''''s recovery." The railway was established in 1984 as a joint public-private venture, playing many roles for residents, including for commute and access to high schools, hospitals and shopping. Before the launch of Sanriku Railway 30 years ago, many teenagers in this area gave up high school education due to lack of transportation.
But the high school enrollment rate has significantly risen after the railway opened. In a show of appreciation for providing train services for the students, high schools along the railway lines invite Sanriku Railway staff to their graduation ceremony every year.
The huge tsunami also severely damaged aqua-farming industries in the region, including production of scallops, which are specialties in Ofunato City, 400 km northeast of Tokyo. All 10 million scallops and farming facilities were washed away. It takes three years to cultivate scallops to the point at which they are ready for harvest.
"This April, we finally managed to restart harvesting scallops made from our own seeds. And we are happy to offer our first shipment to passengers on Sanriku Railway''''s memorial train," a fisherman in his 30s told KUNA.
"Full return of Sanriku Railway is as impressive as recovery of our scallop cultivation. I went to high school by this train. Indeed, Sanriku Railway has been a part of my life. It also shares the fate of this area, which heavily depends on fish industry," he said. "I hope a lot of people, including from Kuwait, will come to our place by train and eat our delicious scallops." Commemorating the full-scale operations, Sanriku Railway introduced five new railcars, each costs JPY 160 million (USD 1.6 million). In April last year, Kuwait also helped the company buy three brand-new railcars on the occasion of the partial relaunch of the South Rias Line. Following the 2011 catastrophe, upon directives of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwait donated five million barrels of crude oil to Japan, equivalent to some USD 500 million, of which sales proceeds were given to the three hardest-hit prefectures, including Iwate.
A message of appreciation for Kuwaiti assistance, saying "We greatly appreciate the support from the State of Kuwait" in Japanese, English and Arabic languages are written on the side of the all eight train cars, while the national emblem of Kuwait is drawn at their head and back. In addition to the purchase of the eight railcars, the money was also used for reconstruction of five damaged station buildings and another facility. Nearly 320 points on the two railway lines were damaged, including bridges and stations, and about JPY 9.2 billion (USD 90 million) is estimated for the reconstruction.
Kuwaiti Ambassador to Japan Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi and his wife celebrated the railway''''s full revival with Japanese ministers, officials and local people in a series of ceremonies over the weekend. Many people gathering at stations and along the railway lines with banners and Kuwaiti flags to celebrate the restoration of full services.
"I feel like I''''m dreaming now," a woman in her 70s, who lost her house from the catastrophic earthquake-tsunami said in tears. "I used to live in a house within just a two minute-walk from a railway station, but giant tsunami waves swallowed my house. Now I live in temporary house and have no idea when I can move out. The restoration of Sanriku Railway lightens me up so much, and I cannot stop crying," she said. "Please convey our gratitude to the Kuwaiti people. Thank you Kuwait," she added.
An elderly couple who got in the first commemorative train said their daughter has given them winning passenger tickets. "She gave us an unforgettable gift to celebrate our golden wedding anniversary. We have been looking forward to seeing the full restoration of Sanriku Railway, and finally it made a comeback," the couple said.
The disaster left nearly 19,000 people dead or missing in the northeastern region. In Iwate prefecture alone, 4,673 people were confirmed dead and 1,142 were still unaccounted for, while more than 440,000 houses were destroyed or damaged, according to the National Police Agency. Some people are rebuilding their homes, but still some 35,000 people are living in temporary houses in Iwate, the Reconstruction Agency said.
Sanriku Railway has also drawn nationwide attention after it became the model of a railway company in popular TV drama series "Amachan" last year. The drama, which lifted the spirits of the people in the disaster-hit areas, helped boost the number of passengers. The series were also aired in Hawaii and other Asian countries including Taiwan and Thailand.
A family of four, who came from near Tokyo to ride on the memorial train expressed their pleasure. "I learned how much local people love this railway and they have been longing its full return. We are very lucky to be a part of this historic event and see the background of the popular TV drama," said a woman in her 70s, who were with her two daughters and a grandson.
In an interview with KUNA, Reconstruction Minister Takumi Nemoto said "Sanriku Railway is considered as a driving force for the revitalization of this area, and full resumption of operations raises hopes for the affected people." While expressing appreciation to Kuwait for its assistance, Nemoto noted, "I was deeply impressed as many people waving hands and flags along the line in welcoming memorial trains." In another statement to KUNA, Sanriku Railway President Mochizuki said the local community enormously welcomes the restoration of train services.
"Full service resume marked a great step forward. We really appreciate great support from Kuwait. With eight cars funded by Kuwait, we can offer comfortable rail travel to the people and carry their smiles," Mochizuki said. (end) mk.hb