Monorail opens in Japan's Kesennuma to revive tourism after 2011 disaster
A ceremony was held Saturday to celebrate the opening of a new monorail in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, heavily affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that also triggered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, Qazinform News Agency learned from Kyodo.
The monorail, located on Kesennuma Oshima, the largest inhabited island in Japan’s northeastern Tohoku region, links the midpoint of 235-meter Mt. Kameyama with its summit. At the top, visitors can enjoy an observation terrace, walking trails, and a café.
Commercial service is set to begin on Sunday. The mountain once had a chairlift, but it was destroyed in a fire caused by the disaster. Unlike the lift, which was vulnerable to bad weather, the monorail is designed to operate year-round.
Kesennuma Mayor Shigeru Sugawara said he hopes the new attraction will boost tourism, noting, “We have made something good and want to show the city’s appeal.”
Guests on trial rides enjoyed sweeping views of oyster farms and the city center, with the one-way trip taking six to seven minutes.
The monorail will run daily except during the year-end and New Year holidays. Round-trip fares are 1,200 yen ($7.40) for junior high school students and older, 600 yen for elementary school students, while preschool children ride free.