The rural lines are legacies of Japan’s economic boom through the 1970s but failed to adapt to rural depopulation, as younger people left for cities and some villages emptied altogether.

The rural lines are legacies of Japan’s economic boom through the 1970s, but failed to adapt to rural depopulation, as younger people left for cities and some villages emptied altogether.

On a rail trip that strays far from the high-speed routes, Caroline Daniel finds rural villages struggling with depopulation but hoping art, craftsmanship and tourism will provide a lifeline ...

With rural Japan experiencing severe depopulation, unstaffed railway stations and vacant properties are being turned into places for tourists to stay - and it is proving a success.

CHOSHI, Japan: In the driver's seat of a two-carriage train, Katsunori Takemoto puts on his white gloves and checks the antiquated gauges before setting out alongside cabbage fields in Japan's rural ...

When planning a trip to Japan, tourists are most likely to pack destinations like Mount Fuji, Kyoto and Akihabara all into the space of a few days.

Witness Japan's stunning landscapes from a unique angle, from mountains and forests to coastlines and rural villages.

A joint venture born out of East Japan Railway Company (JR East, the operator of the Ome Line) and Satoyume (a local business incubator), the Ensen Marugoto Hotel Project takes a multipronged ...