Fukuoka: Red Trolley Train Runs Through Mountainous Village; Passengers Get Once-in-a-Month Experience

A bright red trolley train runs through a mountainous area in Akamura, Fukuoka Prefecture.
15:19 JST, May 24, 2025&
AKAMURA, Fukuoka — Only on one specified day each month, a bright red trolley train passes through mountainous areas at a gentle pace in Akamura, Fukuoka Prefecture. Akamura means Red village in Japanese.
The train makes a 1.8-kilometer-or-so round trip from Heisei Chikuho Railway’s Aka Station to the border of a neighboring town.
The central part of Fukuoka Prefecture, including the village, is known as the Chikuho region, which once prospered through its coal mining industry. Local volunteers had the idea to make use of the remains of a coal transportation line.
Construction on the line began in 1957. However, the coal industry declined, and the track was never opened.
They created the “Akamura trolley association” and began working to lay specialized rails on the abandoned route.

A passenger projects drawing onto a tunnel wall.
Passengers can enjoy journeying through the mountains and tunnels while the train rocks back and forth. They can also use flashlights to project pictures they have drawn onto the walls of the tunnel, which elicits shouts of joy from the children among them.
The trip costs ¥600 for adults and ¥300 for children up to elementary school age. This year, the service will run through November.
"Features" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Red Carpet of Shirley Poppies in Bloom at Western Tokyo Park; Total of 1.8 Million Flowers Fill Area
-
Neko Pitcher
-
‘Rice Meister’ Shares Tips on How to Cook Tasty Stockpiled Rice; Soaking, Adding Sake Among Tricks to Restore Old Rice
-
My Daughter’s Husband Lives with Us But Doesn’t Help Pay for Living Expenses
-
I’m in My 70s and Feel Bitter After Breaking Up with My Boyfriend
JN ACCESS RANKING
-
Toyoda to Become Automobile Business Association of Japan Chairman; to Help Guide U.S. Tariff-Affected Industriessns
-
Advance Payments for 2025 Rice Foretell Rising Prices; Big Buyers Moving Early; Farmers Spurred to Grow More
-
Japan to Introduce Car Fuel with Up to 10% Biofuels from Fiscal 2028; Limited Rollout Expected at Areas with Refineries
-
Japan’s Current Account Surplus Hits ¥30.3 Trillion in Fy2024; Increase of 16.1% from Previous Year
-
Rice Prices Dip for First Time in 18 Weeks as Govt Stockpiles Reach Supermarket