Tokyo International News Agency

A localized torrential downpour struck the area around Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, causing widespread road flooding and the suspension of public transportation services, which temporarily severely disrupted urban functions. On social media, the keyword "Nagoya" trended as posts reporting local damage and expressing concern for the safety of friends and family rapidly multiplied. Roads flooded, all subway lines stopped, and stranded commuters piled up. Due to the heavy rainfall that continued into the night, extensive flooding occurred across wide areas including the Sakae and Tsuruma districts within Nagoya City. Successive reports emerged of water reaching below knee-level around homes, and roads turning into rivers where cars became stranded. Alerts regarding rising water levels in rivers such as the Shonai River were also heightened. Furthermore, in addition to JR and Nagoya Railroad, the Nagoya Municipal Subway suspended operations across all lines, halting major transporta...

A section of the Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu) Hiromi Line between Shin-Kani and Mitake stations in Gifu Prefecture is set to be discontinued. Local municipalities have concluded discussions on preserving the segment, and Meitetsu has confirmed it will proceed toward closure. Moving forward, the focus will shift to transitioning to alternative transportation, such as local buses. High Costs Lead to Abandoning the 'Vertical Separation' Model The decision to end rail service was reached by the three municipalities along the line: Mitake Town, Kani City, and Yaotsu Town. The local governments had been exploring a "de-facto vertical separation" framework to keep the line running. Under this model, Meitetsu would handle train operations while the municipalities would cover the costs of maintaining track infrastructure and carriages. However, local authorities ultimately abandoned the plan. According to announcements from Mitake Town and other partners, the model would have im...

The practice of JR companies operating the Tōkaidō and San'yō Shinkansen's "Nozomi" trains as "all-reserved seating" during peak periods, such as Golden Week, is becoming the new standard. However, this shift has sparked a wave of confusion, dissatisfaction, and calls for improvement from passengers on social media. The most common complaint centers on the reality of passengers without reserved seat tickets overflowing into the aisles and vestibules (decks) of reserved-seat cars. Users have voiced their frustrations online, stating, "People are standing in the aisles and getting in the way," and "I paid for a reserved seat, but I can't even relax." Some travelers mentioned specifically choosing Green Cars (first-class) to avoid the crowds, only to find the surrounding environment equally chaotic, highlighting a growing disparity in the onboard experience. Misunderstandings of the rules have also become a serious issue. Social media po...