ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi Prefecture--After a more than four-year wait, the tsunami-hit JR Senseki Line in Miyagi Prefecture resumed full operation on May 30, and local residents were out in force to mark the occasion.
ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi Prefecture--After a more than four-year wait, the tsunami-hit JR Senseki Line in Miyagi Prefecture resumed full operation on May 30, and local residents were out in force to mark the occasion.
Shortly before 5 a.m., dozens of locals and train buffs eagerly waited on platform one at Aoba-dori Station in Sendai for the first train to Ishinomaki. Many snapped photos of the electronic time schedule announcing the 05:01 departure to the city before boarding.
About 34 kilometers, or two-thirds of the Senseki Line, which connects Sendai with the coastal city of Ishinomaki, was heavily damaged in the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that hit in March 2011.
While train operations had resumed in phases, the 10.5-km stretch between Takagi-machi Station in Matsushima and Rikuzen-Ono Station in Higashi-Matsushima was the last to be repaired.
Of the stretch, the 3.5-km section between Nobiru Station and Tona Station was relocated 500 meters inland from the coast to higher ground on reclaimed land.
With the resumption of full service, the journey between Sendai and Ishinomaki--a distance of 49 km--can now take 52 minutes. Combined with the bus service, the trip took nearly two hours.
Maho Abe, a first-year student at Miyagi Gakuin Women’s University and a resident of Ishinomaki who lost her mother to the tsunami, joined one of the celebratory events that was held at Ishinomaki Station.
“I want this area to become more and more vibrant,” said the 18-year-old, who wore a headgear shaped as “hoya” (sea squirt), a local specialty, to mark the occasion. “I want many people to come and see the disaster-hit area recover. I hope the Senseki Line will bring many people and make that happen.”
Abe said she became determined to help revitalize her hometown after seeing people helping one another and receiving warm words of encouragement from strangers.
In high school, she joined a community development group and helped organize events to attract people to the area, such as book-reading sessions for children.
She also chose her university partly because it is located in Sendai, which is within commuting distance.
Until the resumption of full service, the journey one way took her two hours. She left Ishinomaki Station at 6:28 a.m. to get to university and departed Sendai Station shortly before 6 p.m. for the return trip. That meant she could not afford to join parties or join in club activities.
Her traveling time has been cut nearly in half with the opening of the track.
“Finally, I am able to have a typical student life,” she said.
(This article was written by Norihiko Kuwabara and Yoshinobu Motegi.)