Near Akaji Station in the rural town of Kotake, Fukuoka Prefecture, Naomasa Ito swings a pickax into the railway bed of the Heisei Chikuho Railway. After removing the ballast, he deftly replaces an old railroad tie with a new one, securing it with heavy-duty nails.
¡°The places along the railway tracks feel like my own backyard,¡± he says. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s hard work, but you can¡¯t do this job unless you¡¯re emotionally attached to it.¡±
A veteran of the railway¡¯s engineering department, Ito, 48, originally worked as a train operator. Concerned about the condition of the tracks he saw from the driver¡¯s seat, he has transferred to a post in charge of maintenance.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.