北海道内で進む廃線・廃駅…鉄路は縮めども跡地をビジネスに活用！（2025年5月3日「けいナビ」）

In Numata Town, located in the Sorachi region of Hokkaido, it has been decided that the JR Rumoi Main Line between Fukagawa and Ishikari-Numata will be closed at the end of March 2026. As a result, Ishikari-Numata Station, the terminal station of this section, will also be closed. In 1965, Hokkaido's railway network ran 4,200 km, but has now shrunk to 2,200 km. This time, we will introduce a movement to make effective use of the tracks and station buildings left after the line was closed. Sugimura Taizo and TV Hokkaido announcer Ozawa Ryota came to JR Ishikari-Numata Station. "Taizo, here is a countdown board" (Ozawa announcer) "The Rumoi Main Line has been closed, so this section is the only one left. It will be until March 31st next year. It feels a bit sad" (Sugimura) "There is a new building right next to this station that I'm interested in, so I'd like to visit it" (Ozawa announcer) We came to the Ishikari-Numata Brewery, right next to the station building. The craft beer brewery, which will begin operation on April 1st of this year, will be built by the town at a cost of approximately 100 million yen, and will be operated by a private business operator who relocated from Tokyo, under the "publicly-owned, privately-run" model. Craft breweries built by local governments are very rare nationwide, and this is the first attempt in Hokkaido. Lastland, the company that runs the brewery, President Shingo Murakami met Numata Town at a relocation fair, and was impressed by the fact that all the town officials were talking about the town's future vision with "children" as the keyword, which led him to decide to relocate. The business was launched from scratch, and preparations have been steadily progressing using the town's regional revitalization cooperation team system. The brewery will produce original craft beer using local agricultural products, such as Numata Town's brand rice "Yukichumai" and specialty tomatoes, with the aim of promoting the charm of the region by creating products that utilize local resources. In addition, a portion of the sales of this beer will be donated to schools in the town to support education. Based on the unique philosophy of "giving back to children what adults have enjoyed," the aim is to create a model that creates a virtuous cycle throughout the region. The development of the craft beer business is also linked to spreading awareness outside the town. A restaurant that specializes in serving craft beer made in Numata has opened in the commercial facility "Tonarie Kitahiroshima," which is directly connected to Kitahiroshima Station near Sapporo, and is promoting the town to tourists who come to watch professional baseball games. In the future, the plan is to collaborate with other breweries in the prefecture to hold events such as "beer trains" aimed at both train and beer fans, and a strategy is being developed to keep the area lively even after the railway is closed. After leaving the brewery, the two returned to Ishikari-Numata Station, where they were greeted by Toshinao Iwai of Numata Town's Industry Creation Division. According to Iwai, the station will not simply be closed after it is closed, but rather consideration is being given to reconsidering its value as a regional resource. There is a proposal to use it as an exhibition facility or mini-museum to convey the history of railways. Another idea is to keep the old train cars in working order and renovate them into a space where people can enjoy eating and drinking. I headed to the town hall to hear that Mayor Yokoyama Shigeru has a strong will behind these measures. "Publicly-owned and privately-run, isn't this quite unusual for craft beer?" (Sugimura) "I think it's probably the first time in the country, but our town has good air and water, and we're sure that our rice, sake, and beer will be delicious, so we decided to start production." (Mayor Yokoyama) "To be a little harsh, does this mean that the town's taxes are being used?" (Sugimura) "Yes." (Mayor Yokoyama) "Any opposition from the town council?" (Sugimura) "There was opposition." (Mayor Yokoyama) Mayor Yokoyama has been promoting the project while seeking understanding for the facility development funded by the town's taxes, based on the idea that "it is precisely because we are a small town that we should take on challenges and take risks." There were some opposition within the town council, but he persuaded them and led the project to fruition. In the future, they would like to consider developing the area around the station into a new hub of industry and exchange, such as developing roadside stations and establishing drone logistics bases. In addition, new technology is alive on the former tracks of the JR Hidaka Main Line between Mukawa and Samani, which was officially abolished in 2021. Tokyo-based IT company "mmGuard". This company, which deals in technology business centered on disaster response, established a new base in Niikappu T...