Kyushu Shinkansen

The Kyushu Shinkansen (九州新幹線, Kyūshū Shinkansen) is a Japanese high-speed railway line between the Japanese cities of Fukuoka (Hakata) and Kagoshima in Kyushu (and an extension of the Sanyo Shinkansen from Honshu), running parallel to the existing Kagoshima Main Line and operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). The southern 127 km (79 mi) was constructed first because the equivalent section of the former Kagoshima Main Line is single track, and thus a significant improvement in transit time was gained when this (dual track) section opened on 13 March 2004, despite the need for passengers to change to a Relay Tsubame narrow gauge train at Shin-Yatsushiro for the remainder of the journey to Hakata. The northern 130 km (81 mi) section opened on 12 March 2011 (although opening ceremonies were canceled due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami), enabling through-services to Shin-Osaka (and with a change of train, Tokyo).

The construction of the first section (from Takeo-Onsen to Isahaya) of the West Kyushu Shinkansen route to Nagasaki, approximately 45.7 km (28.4 mi) in length, began in 2008, with construction of the 21 km (13 mi) section from Isahaya to Nagasaki commencing in 2012. The entire line is due to open by March 2023, with the service proposed to be provided by Gauge Change Train (GCT) trainsets which will be able to run on the existing narrow gauge line between Shin-Tosu and Takeo-Onsen as well as on the standard gauge Shinkansen lines either side of this section.

Kyushu

Kyushu (九州, Kyūshū, lit. "Nine Provinces") (Japanese pronunciation: [kjɯᵝːꜜɕɯᵝː]) is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include Kyūkoku (九国^?, "Nine States") , Chinzei (鎮西^?, "West of the Pacified Area") , and Tsukushi-no-shima (筑紫島^?, "Island of Tsukushi") . The historical regional name Saikaidō (西海道, lit. West Sea Circuit) referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands.

In the 8th century Taihō Code reforms, Dazaifu was established as a special administrative term for the region.

As of 2006, Kyushu has a population of 13,231,995 and covers 35,640 square kilometres (13,760 sq mi).

Geography

The island is mountainous, and Japan's most active volcano, Mt Aso at 1,591 metres (5,220 ft), is on Kyushu. There are many other signs of tectonic activity, including numerous areas of hot springs. The most famous of these are in Beppu, on the east shore, and around Mt. Aso, in central Kyushu. The island is separated from Honshu by the Kanmon Straits.