" New tourism "utilizing JR Sanko Line heritage co-created by local supporters (local stakeholders) and local residents

- Gonokawa Railway's initiatives and challenges –

Abstract

Five years have passed since the closure of the JR Sanko Line at the end of March 2018, and the author has deepened his involvement with the local community by participating in activities to revitalize the Sanko Line. As a result, the author was able to observe the impact on the region before and after the Sanko Line was abolished. After the Sanko Line was abolished, local residents continued activities to promote tourism in the region, focusing on utilizing the abandoned line sites and railway heritage sites. I would like to talk about our efforts in depopulated　areas, including the perspective of building local supporters through railway preservation activities.