Ryo Toritsuka, president of Ōi River Railway, apologized last week after posting a controversial blog entry regarding a new uniform ticket price [1].

The dispute highlights the tension between maintaining aging rural infrastructure and the financial reality of declining ridership in central Shizuoka Prefecture. The railway, which connects Shimada City and Shizuoka City, specifically runs from Senzu station to Igawa station [1].

Toritsuka introduced a uniform ticket price of ¥3,500 [1]. This price hike was proposed to address financial losses and a steady decline in passengers. According to company data, regular ticket usage has been zero for the past 15 years [2].

Local residents opposed the fare increase, leading Toritsuka to express his frustration in a blog post on April 28, 2026 [2]. In the post, he questioned the impact of the line's potential failure on the broader public.

"Even if the Igawa line were abolished, it would not have a great effect on the world at large," Toritsuka said [1]. He said that if residents oppose the plan and cause it to fail, it is "their own responsibility," and that he would not feel responsible for the outcome [1].

The post was later deleted, and Toritsuka issued an apology the week before May 11 [1]. The railway president had previously been viewed as a "turnaround specialist" tasked with saving the struggling line, but the comments have strained relations with the community the railway serves [1].

Despite the apology, the conflict underscores the difficulty of balancing the needs of local commuters with the necessity of generating revenue to prevent total service collapse.

“"Even if the Igawa line were abolished, it would not have a great effect on the world at large,"”

The controversy reflects a growing crisis for Japan's local rail networks, where plummeting populations make traditional fare models unsustainable. When operators prioritize financial solvency over community sentiment, it often reveals a disconnect between corporate management and the residents who rely on these services as essential lifelines.