KAGOSHIMA -- "Hayato no Kaze," a sightseeing train on the JR Hisatsu and Nippo lines that had been suspended, is back in service for about the next three months before being permanently retired.

       Kyushu Railway Co. (JR Kyushu) has decided to convert trains including "Hayato no Kaze," with its large windows, into the new sightseeing train "Futatsuboshi 4047." The Futatsuboshi is set to link southwestern Japan's Nagasaki and Saga prefectures starting in autumn 2022, to coincide with the opening of the western Kyushu shinkansen bullet train line.

       "Hayato no Kaze" began operating in March 2004 as a limited express train running between Kagoshima Chuo and Yoshimatsu stations to coincide with the partial opening of the Kyushu shinkansen line. It became popular for viewing the Sakurajima volcano in Kagoshima Bay and the wooden station building at Kareigawa Station in the city of Kirishma, Kagoshima Prefecture, which opened in 1903.

       However, service had been suspended since September 2020 due to the coronavirus and heavy rain damage in the Kyushu region, including to the Hisatsu Line. The temporary return to operations began on Dec. 25, 2021, and will run to March 21, 2022.

       A JR Kyushu spokesperson said they decided to temporarily resume operations to "show appreciation to the areas along the railway lines and fans." All seats are reserved, and the train runs mainly on the weekends, making two round trips daily until Jan. 10.

       People can buy a voucher that can be exchanged for a "Hyakunen no Tabimonogatari Kareigawa" bento box, which topped the Kyushu region's train bento ranking three times straight, inside the train for 1,200 yen (roughly $11) by showing a reserved seat ticket for "hayato no Kaze" at the ticket counter. A commemorative ticket will also be sold.

       (Japanese original by Munehisa Ishida, Kagoshima Bureau)

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