Summary of Key Developments in Shizuoka, Kanagawa, and Yamanashi
Maglev Project Hits New Milestones Across Japan: Shizuoka Breakthroughs, Kanagawa Shield Ready, Yamanashi Station Groundbreaking — and a “Doctor Yellow” Robot for Maintenance
Shizuoka: Legal/administrative steps toward a start
Jan. 24: Shizuoka Prefecture and JR Tokai, with MLIT present, signed a compensation memorandum covering how potential impacts on Oi River basin water use would be handled in connection with the Southern Alps Tunnel. This was a major step for Shizuoka, the only prefecture on the Shinagawa–Nagoya section where construction had not begun.
Feb. 13: The prefecture and JR Tokai signed a Nature Environment Conservation Agreement for yard development (office installation, grading, and related land preparation). JR Tokai had requested consultations in Aug. 2025.
Yard development is preparatory work, but it is treated as a key prerequisite for full-scale construction. Vice Governor Sho Hiraki emphasized the importance of formalizing commitments in writing and said the pace reflects long-running accumulated discussions, not a rush that would compromise technical review.
Kanagawa: Underground station build + shield machine readiness
Feb. 27: JR Tokai completed assembly of a shield machine that will bore the Second Metropolitan Area Tunnel (~3.6 km) from the planned Kanagawa Prefecture Station in Sagamihara toward Nagoya and showed it to the press.
The station near Hashimoto (JR/Keio) has been under construction since 2019. The excavated “outer frame” is about 680 m long, up to 50 m wide, and about 30 m deep; the station structure is being built inside and will be backfilled after completion.
Planned layout: two platforms / four tracks. Trains stop on secondary main lines; main lines are for high-speed pass-through at 500 km/h (relative 1,000 km/h when trains pass), requiring strong platform shielding against pressure waves.
Station construction is scheduled through March 2027. Schedule revisions remain possible depending on site conditions, with community communication cited as the operating approach.
Shield machine specifics: outer diameter ~14.0 m, length ~14.2 m, assembled underground; expected advance ~20 m/day (about 400 m/month). Safety controls emphasize strict management of excavated volume vs. removed volume to prevent over-excavation and void formation.
Yamanashi: Final station groundbreaking + access and O&M technology
Mar. 11: JR Tokai held the groundbreaking for the planned Yamanashi Prefecture Station (Kofu/Chuo area), the last of the Shinagawa–Nagoya six stations to start construction. The above-ground station is planned at ~1,200 m long and ~32 m high (four stories), with two platforms / four tracks. Construction runs through Dec. 2031.
Station-area concept emphasizes road–rail integration: proximity to a smart interchange and ring-road links, a transportation plaza, and park-and-ride circulation. Planning assumptions cite ~25 minutes to central Tokyo and ~45 minutes to Nagoya once operating.
Feb. 9: A prototype facility-inspection robot, “Minerva,” was unveiled (JR Tokai + Suzuki + Panasonic Advanced Technology). It is designed to reduce labor burden by autonomously traveling over uneven surfaces (steps, gravel) and performing camera-based inspections via a long arm; deployment would follow test-line validation.
Access planning remains a key issue: Kofu Station is about 7 km away (up to ~30 minutes by car in peak congestion). The nearest conventional rail stop is Koikawa Station on the Minobu Line (unmanned, low ridership), but expected to gain interchange importance; connectivity and potential Minobu Line constraints (including single tracking) are identified as future agenda items.
Info based on. https://toyokeizai.net/articles/-/937928 Accessed 2026-03-16
[JP] Summary of Key Developments in Shizuoka, Kanagawa, and Yamanashi
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[JP] Aichi Governor Welcomes Progress on Shizuoka Maglev Section
Aichi Governor Welcomes Progress on Shizuoka Maglev Section
Aichi Governor Hideaki Ōmura, who chairs the construction promotion alliance for the Linear Chuo Shinkansen, said he “highly evaluates” the recent completion of all 28 dialogue items between Shizuoka Prefecture and JR Central. This clears a major hurdle for starting work on the long-delayed Shizuoka section of the Southern Alps Tunnel.
Ōmura made the comments during a press conference on March 31, following Shizuoka’s expert committee announcement on March 26. The progress is seen as a significant step toward potential construction within the year, though the full Tokyo–Nagoya opening remains years away.
Source: Chunichi Shimbun Biz, April 1, 2026. https://biz.chunichi.co.jp/news/article/10/123503/34/ Accessed 2026-04-04
Aichi Governor Hideaki Ōmura, who chairs the construction promotion alliance for the Linear Chuo Shinkansen, said he “highly evaluates” the recent completion of all 28 dialogue items between Shizuoka Prefecture and JR Central. This clears a major hurdle for starting work on the long-delayed Shizuoka section of the Southern Alps Tunnel.
Ōmura made the comments during a press conference on March 31, following Shizuoka’s expert committee announcement on March 26. The progress is seen as a significant step toward potential construction within the year, though the full Tokyo–Nagoya opening remains years away.
Source: Chunichi Shimbun Biz, April 1, 2026. https://biz.chunichi.co.jp/news/article/10/123503/34/ Accessed 2026-04-04
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[JP] Shizuoka’s Maglev Deadlock Finally Breaks
Shizuoka’s Maglev Deadlock Finally Breaks, but the Hard Part Is Still Ahead
JR Tokai has begun arranging resident briefings starting May 29, after Shizuoka’s expert panel approved the company’s countermeasures last month. That approval marked a turning point in a dispute that had dragged on for about 10 years, and it has made a 2026 start of construction in the Shizuoka section much more likely.
The Linear Chuo Shinkansen dates back to a 1973 national basic plan linking Tokyo and Osaka, with the Shinagawa–Nagoya section originally targeted to open in 2027. Construction between Shinagawa and Nagoya began in 2014, and about 86% of the route is in tunnels.
The biggest obstacle has been the Southern Alps Tunnel, especially the Shizuoka segment near the headwaters of the Oi River. The central concern was that tunneling could reduce river flow. To address that, JR Tokai committed to three main water measures: returning tunnel spring water to the river by tunnel and pump systems except during certain construction periods, offsetting out-of-prefecture groundwater loss by reducing dam intake on the Oi River system, and continuing to respond even beyond the normal 30-year public-works liability period if impacts still appear.
The broader approval package covered 28 items in three areas: water resources, ecosystems, and tunnel spoil handling. For the environmental side, the company committed to pre-construction wildlife surveys, ongoing monitoring of groundwater, water quality, and spring flow, and conservation measures at least equivalent to pre-project conditions if environmental damage occurs. For excavated soil, disposal sites and slope-risk countermeasures such as landslide and debris-flow prevention also had to be agreed.
Even with this breakthrough, the project still faces a long and difficult road. Resident briefings are scheduled across 11 cities and towns from next month through June, and additional procedures under Shizuoka’s natural environment rules still need to move forward. The Shizuoka section remains the toughest construction zone, with excavation reaching depths of up to about 1,400 meters below the surface. Even if work starts this year, opening is expected no earlier than 2036. The project also still faces groundwater and subsidence issues in already active sections, along with rising material and labor costs.
Info baesd on a report by https://hicbc.com/magazine/article/?id=radichubu-63077 Accessed 2026-04-25
JR Tokai has begun arranging resident briefings starting May 29, after Shizuoka’s expert panel approved the company’s countermeasures last month. That approval marked a turning point in a dispute that had dragged on for about 10 years, and it has made a 2026 start of construction in the Shizuoka section much more likely.
The Linear Chuo Shinkansen dates back to a 1973 national basic plan linking Tokyo and Osaka, with the Shinagawa–Nagoya section originally targeted to open in 2027. Construction between Shinagawa and Nagoya began in 2014, and about 86% of the route is in tunnels.
The biggest obstacle has been the Southern Alps Tunnel, especially the Shizuoka segment near the headwaters of the Oi River. The central concern was that tunneling could reduce river flow. To address that, JR Tokai committed to three main water measures: returning tunnel spring water to the river by tunnel and pump systems except during certain construction periods, offsetting out-of-prefecture groundwater loss by reducing dam intake on the Oi River system, and continuing to respond even beyond the normal 30-year public-works liability period if impacts still appear.
The broader approval package covered 28 items in three areas: water resources, ecosystems, and tunnel spoil handling. For the environmental side, the company committed to pre-construction wildlife surveys, ongoing monitoring of groundwater, water quality, and spring flow, and conservation measures at least equivalent to pre-project conditions if environmental damage occurs. For excavated soil, disposal sites and slope-risk countermeasures such as landslide and debris-flow prevention also had to be agreed.
Even with this breakthrough, the project still faces a long and difficult road. Resident briefings are scheduled across 11 cities and towns from next month through June, and additional procedures under Shizuoka’s natural environment rules still need to move forward. The Shizuoka section remains the toughest construction zone, with excavation reaching depths of up to about 1,400 meters below the surface. Even if work starts this year, opening is expected no earlier than 2036. The project also still faces groundwater and subsidence issues in already active sections, along with rising material and labor costs.
Info baesd on a report by https://hicbc.com/magazine/article/?id=radichubu-63077 Accessed 2026-04-25
[JP] JR Central Won’t Name a Maglev Opening Date
JR Central Won’t Name a Maglev Opening Date Until Shizuoka Work Begins
JR Central will not provide a new opening forecast for the Shinagawa–Nagoya section of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen until construction actually starts in the Shizuoka section. Company President Shunsuke Niwa said the outlook will be presented at the appropriate time after groundbreaking is secured, while stressing the goal of starting work as soon as possible.
The Shizuoka section covers about 8.9 km and forms part of the Southern Alps Tunnel across Yamanashi, Shizuoka, and Nagano. Its construction period is estimated at about 10 years, so even if work begins within 2026, opening would still be 2036 or later.
One of Shizuoka Prefecture’s conditions for approving construction is that JR Central must obtain understanding from residents and local governments. To address that, the company plans to hold briefing sessions in May and June for residents in Shizuoka City and the 10 municipalities in the Oi River basin.
Info based on https://www.sanyonews.jp/article/1913323 Accessed 2026-05-01
JR Central will not provide a new opening forecast for the Shinagawa–Nagoya section of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen until construction actually starts in the Shizuoka section. Company President Shunsuke Niwa said the outlook will be presented at the appropriate time after groundbreaking is secured, while stressing the goal of starting work as soon as possible.
The Shizuoka section covers about 8.9 km and forms part of the Southern Alps Tunnel across Yamanashi, Shizuoka, and Nagano. Its construction period is estimated at about 10 years, so even if work begins within 2026, opening would still be 2036 or later.
One of Shizuoka Prefecture’s conditions for approving construction is that JR Central must obtain understanding from residents and local governments. To address that, the company plans to hold briefing sessions in May and June for residents in Shizuoka City and the 10 municipalities in the Oi River basin.
Info based on https://www.sanyonews.jp/article/1913323 Accessed 2026-05-01
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