Campaigning for the Shizuoka gubernatorial election officially kicked off on Thursday, with the race expected to have a large impact on the future of the delayed magnetic levitation train line project.
The maglev line, once completely finished, would reduce the travel time from Tokyo to Osaka to about an hour from the current two-and-a-half hours via bullet train. A portion of the line was supposed to cross through a tunnel in the northern part of Shizuoka, but construction plans have been pushed back due to opposition from outgoing Gov. Heita Kawakastu and his supporters who cited environmental concerns regarding a local riverbed that is crucial for agricultural irrigation.
Central Japan Railway (JR Central) had previously planned to complete the maglev line by 2027, but gave up earlier this year due to opposition in Shizuoka. The rail operator’s stock price rose slightly following Kawakatsu’s resignation announcement, reflecting hopes that new leadership would help put the project back on track.