Japan Railway Journal

JR Gono Line: A Popular Local Line Worth the Journey (2019x2)

Air date: Feb 08, 2019

JR East's Gono Line, which runs between Akita and Aomori Prefectures, currently boasts 3 popular tourist trains with the name "Resort Shirakami," attracting more than 100,000 passengers annually. Once facing discontinuation, the line has made a comeback with the support of JR East staff, and local residents living along the line. See how a local line running in a depopulated region has become Japan's most popular local line.