Abandoned rail lines once serving as lifelines for local industry are recapturing attention as tourist attractions.

Last month, 15 groups from 12 prefectures inaugurated an association of regional promoters hoping that their railway legacies will attract visitors and help revitalize their aging rural communities. Still, financing and safety issues abound.

Shingo Suzuki, who chairs a nonprofit group in Hida, Gifu Prefecture, played a key role in creating the group following a bout of success in his own hometown.