Near Akaji Station in the rural town of Kotake, Fukuoka Prefecture, Naomasa Ito swings a pickax into the railway bed of the Heisei Chikuho Railway. After removing the ballast, he deftly replaces an old railroad tie with a new one, securing it with heavy-duty nails.
“The places along the railway tracks feel like my own backyard,” he says. “Honestly, it’s hard work, but you can't do this job unless you’re emotionally attached to it.”
A veteran of the railway’s engineering department, Ito, 48, originally worked as a train operator. Concerned about the condition of the tracks he saw from the driver's seat, he has transferred to a post in charge of maintenance.
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