Monorail
The lack of availability of transportation facilities has been a chronic problem in Okinawa, a popular tourist destination for the country. Without access to a rail system, tourists in Okinawa have relied on buses, taxis and rental cars as their sole means of transportation. However, visitors to Okinawa have found the traffic congestion, especially in the central and southern parts of the island, to be exceedingly frustrating. Under such conditions, the idea of building a monorail emerged from the drawing board and became a reality. In November 1996 the prefecture held a groundbreaking ceremony for monorail construction, which subsequently took seven years to complete. The monorail is tentatively scheduled to begin operating 13 kilometers (approximately eight miles) of track in Naha City on August 10, 2003.
As is well known, Okinawa is the only prefecture that is not served by a railroad system. Nevertheless, before World War II streetcars operated by four rail companies serviced Naha for a short 20-year period from 1914 to 1933. Due to a slump in business caused by competition with bus lines, the streetcars were closed down. Due to the rapid industrialization of the postwar period, railroads were constructed to link Tokyo, as the center, with each region. But Okinawa was administered by the U.S. military in those years. It has been said that the U.S. presence was one of the reasons railroads were not constructed in Okinawa. Another reason, however, for the non-installation of a rail system here is that Okinawa is a transmarine island, separated from mainland Japan, where the railroad was developed to connect Tokyo with each industrial area. In addition, it has been theorized that Okinawa’s small size makes it impossible to support a rail system.
Without the benefit of a railroad, buses, taxis and rental or private cars have served as the main modes of transportation. Since the end of World War II, the Okinawan population has grown; moreover, from the time of Okinawa’s reversion to Japan in 1972 until today car ownership has increased to the point that 80 percent of the island’s population is dependent on private cars for primary transportation. In fact, statistics show that the rate of car ownership – with 826,000 privately owned vehicles in Okinawa -- is 5.43 times higher than it was at reversion. The rate of car ownership coupled with rapid population growth is increasing at a pace far exceeding road capacity and is thus causing chronic traffic congestion in the central and southern parts of the island. The traffic jams in Naha City, where many businesses are centrally located, has been terribly frustrating. Due to this heavy congestion, it has been difficult to ensure that buses run on schedule and at constant speeds, causing the number of bus users to decline. The situation has been exacerbated by the fact that buses constitute the sole means of public transport.
The establishment of the monorail system, which promotes effective utilization of road space, was decided up by a body -- the national government, the prefecture, the city of Naha and Okinawa Toshi Monorail Inc. (a private-sector corporation jointly established by the prefecture, Naha City and private companies). It is hoped that the dire traffic situation in Okinawa will be eased after August 10, the tentatively planned date for the start-up of monorail operation.
There are some advantages to utilization of the monorail. The first is the reduction of travel time between Naha Airport and Shuri. This eight-mile trip takes only 27 minutes because the monorail runs at scheduled times and at a constant speed without being affected by traffic conditions. Compared to the use of the bus system for this trip, the monorail can cut the travel time from between 15 and 42 minutes. Another advantage is the reduction of travel time because of easy access to other modes of transportation, such as buses and taxis, since bus stops and taxi stands are situated at the main monorail station. Still another advantage is related to environmental issues; running the monorail by electricity causes the least adverse impact on surroundings in terms of air pollution, ambient noise and vibration. Moreover, the monorail is able to carry 165 people (maximum) at once; it will run every 6.5 minutes during rush hour; and, with the establishment of the monorail, a lessening of not only traffic congestion but also traffic accidents is anticipated. Lastly, the monorail system should contribute to regional revitalization because each station will serve as a transportation core and the linchpin of community development.
There are 15 stations between Naha Airport Station, the starting point, and Shuri Station. Major facilities including parking areas are situated close to each station. For example, the Naha Traditional Handicrafts Museum is located close to Akamine Station; near Oroku Station are Jusco, a large department store, and Oroku Hospital; Kokusai Street and the public market are in the vicinity of Miebashi Station; the Okinawa Prefectural Museum is situated close to Gibo Station; and Shuri Castle Park is not far from Shuri Station.
Hours of operation will be from 6:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Fares are currently set at ¥200 for the first three kilometers (approximately 1.3 miles), with ¥30 added for every additional three kilometers.
A prefecture-wide contest was held in 1999 to determine the monorail’s logo and nickname, drawing 258 entries for logos and 250 for nicknames, or a total of 508 entries. The monorail’s logo is a human face: The eyebrows represent the “M” of monorail; the continuation of the eyebrows indicates energy; the eyes symbolize the wheels of the cars; and the mouth depicts the track. This friendly looking logo will be loved by the Okinawan people. “Yui Rail” has been decided upon as the system’s nickname. “Yui” is derived from the word “yuimaaru” in Okinawan dialect. “Yui” literally means “to tie” or “to connect” and represents the idea that people help each other. Under the spirit of yuimaaru, the monorail’s nickname, Yui Rail, carries the meaning that the monorail will be supported by the residents of the prefecture, will link districts by rail and will connect people.
In accordance with the spirit of yuimaaru, the concept of “stations that are useful to people” has been adopted at each station, and many amenities for children, seniors and the handicapped have been incorporated into their construction. Each station’s name, normally written in kanji, is also written in kana to make it easy for children to read. Textured surfaces, information in Braille and an audible direction system have been installed for blind people. For the deaf, red lights and flashers are in place to usher people to safety in an emergency. For people with infants, baby seats and diaper-changing beds are installed in public restrooms. The public restrooms at the main stations (Naha Airport, Kencho-mae, Shuri) have been equipped with facilities for cleaning up infants as well.
Have you seen the monorail running on recent visits to Naha? At present, the system is conducting test runs; however, actual operation will commence on August 10, at which time the public will be able to make full use of the monorail. Although Okinawa has not had the benefit of an electric train until now, it is hoped that the residents of Okinawa will take advantage of the new system. It is further hoped that the monorail will promote revitalization of the city while at the same time easing the chronic traffic congestion that has plagued the area up until now. |
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