On August 8th, 2020, the JR Hohi main line finally reopened in its entirety! It is now possible to go to Beppu from Kumamoto (and via Aso) by train. More than four years after the Kumamoto earthquakes in 2016, everyone in Aso was waiting for this return to normality.
They were many at Aso station on that day to welcome the first trains. In addition to the press, locals were there too such as the kids of Kurokawa Kindergarten as you can see on the picture above.
Popular mascots of the area were also there to welcome the tourists! Kuro-chan, the mascot of the Aso Boy! train, is the black dog. Akaushi-kun, the “red” cow is the mascot of Aso-city. And of course, Kumamon, the famous black bear with red cheeks, is the mascot of Kumamoto prefecture. He was a little late to the party as you can see on the video but nothing surprising considering how much popular he is!
A band from Aso called Viento was here too, bringing a very nice musical ambiance. The two members of this band, Miki Takeguchi et Banri Yoshikawa, are well known in the area and I had the chance to see them a few times already. You can check their website to get an idea of their work via this link: http://www.viento-office.com/
Train fans are not uncommon in Japan and you can feel it in this kind of event. Especially when a popular tourist train such as the Aso Boy! makes its appearance. I was able to take a video of its arrival and you can check it below.
I would like to add some pictures to end today’s blog article. They were taken around a place called Tateno, one of the most hit area during the Kumamoto earthquake. Trains finally stops there too when coming from Kumamoto to Aso. Between Tateno and Aso you can experience the “switch back” (the train backtrack on the railway to be able to climb the slope). To finish I would like to thank the young lady on the picture and her mother for these extra pictures!
Franck.
