Using Shinkansen to revitalise shrinking peripheral regions: the case of Imabetsu Town

Japan is depopulating, with rural and peripheral areas being the most affected. Usually promoted by the government and instrumental to the survival of these regions is the development of new transit infrastructures linking them with major economic centres. The progressive extension of the Shinkansen’s network towards the north of the country – see, for instance, the recent completion of Tohoku Shinkansen and the construction of the first section of the Hokkaido Shinkansen – is one of the most notable examples of this new tendency. For these peripheral and rapidly shrinking regions, the opening of this new high-speed connection represents a unique opportunity to reimagine their role in post-growth Japan.

This paper explores how high-speed railway (HSR) development can aid the survival of peripheral depopulating regions by increasing their connectivity. It focuses on the recently opened ‘Okutsugaru-Imabetsu Station’ of the Hokkaido Shinkansen in Imabetsu town, the smallest locality in Japan to have a Shinkansen station. Based on this case study, this paper questions the capacity of high-speed railway to trigger revitalisation in small shrinking areas. We argue that just the opening of the station will not bring the expected benefits without accompanying policies to support social and economic development.