MIYAKO, Iwate Prefecture--A railway operator nearly derailed by the March 11 disaster is trying to chug along fueled by a controversial new business.
MIYAKO, Iwate Prefecture--A railway operator nearly derailed by the March 11 disaster is trying to chug along fueled by a controversial new business.
Sanriku Railway Co. is dispatching employees as guides for officials from municipalities, contractors and other organizations who inspect sites devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
"We know the situations of disaster-hit areas inside out because we have been engaged in local tourism for many years," said Atsushi Tomite, who heads the passenger services department.
"We believe that our services can make contributions to recovery of disaster-hit areas and improvements of anti-disaster measures in other parts of the country."
Some Sanriku Railway employees were concerned that they may be seen as cashing in on local people's misfortunes. One resident did protest, saying that the company is placing disaster-hit areas on parade.
But Sanriku Railway concluded it needs the income, be it small, now that the earthquake and tsunami put its very survival on the line.
About 66 percent of its 108-kilometer network along the Pacific coast of Iwate Prefecture has been suspended after stations and elevated tracks were destroyed by the tsunami.
The railway is struggling to find ways to retain about 80 regular employees after firing 14 part-time workers.
Officials arrange for an overnight tour that covers about five disaster-hit sites in the prefecture for groups of 10 people or more.
They provide guide service as well as make reservations for bus transportation and accommodation. The price is 22,000 to 27,000 yen ($268 to $330) per visitor.
The railway has received reservations for about 10 tours through mid-July.
Yoshinori Akanuma, 48, took around a group of seven city assembly members from Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, on May 23.
"The tsunami hit the hill over there, reaching nearly 40 meters high at some points," said Akanuma, who had his home in Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, washed away by the tsunami.
The visitors nodded when he told of a local saying that when a tsunami approaches, people should flee to higher ground immediately even without thinking about family members.
Sanriku Railway decided to proceed with the service to provide accurate information on disaster-hit areas without bothering disaster victims.
Without being accompanied by guides, people who come to inspect disaster-hit areas often cause problems such as traffic congestion.
Officials at local governments have also been preoccupied with post-disaster work such as managing evacuation centers.
Sanriku Railway, partly owned by the prefectural and municipal governments, started services in 1984.
Even before the disaster, the company reported losses for 17 consecutive years due to the falling population in its service areas.
The company estimates that up to 18 billion yen will be needed to restore operations after suffering damages in 317 locations from the earthquake and tsunami.
The company and local governments along its railway lines are calling on the central government to foot the bill.