Hokkaido (Jiji Press) — The Hokkaido Shinkansen line, which connects Honshu and Hokkaido by high-speed trains, marked one year into service on Sunday.

Commemorative events were held at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station in the Hokkaido city of Hokuto, near Hakodate, and Shin-Aomori Station in Aomori Prefecture.

At Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station, a ceremony welcomed the arrival of passengers on the Hayabusa No. 1 train, the day’s first from Tokyo.

Participants at the ceremony included Osamu Shimada, president of Hokkaido Railway Co., or JR Hokkaido, Hokkaido Gov. Harumi Takahashi and Hokuto Mayor Toshimine Takaya.

A birthday cake in the shape of the H5 Shinkansen series with a purple line signifying lavender from Hokkaido was used for a cake-cutting ceremony.

At Shin-Aomori Station, a local costumed mascot character and station personnel welcomed passengers.

The 149-kilometer Hokkaido Shinkansen line connects Shin-Aomori Station and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station through the 54-kilometer undersea Seikan Tunnel in as short as one hour and one minute.

Shinkansen trains share the track with local freight trains on an 82-kilometer section including the tunnel underneath the Tsugaru Strait. … (more)