北陸新幹線延伸ルート巡り「費用対効果だけで決まるなら政治要らない」発言した国の鉄道局長が維新側に謝罪 (2026年5月14日)

The Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party are reconsidering the route for the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, taking into account cost-effectiveness and other factors. Amidst this, the Director-General of the Railway Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism caused controversy by stating at a rally in Fukui Prefecture that "if decisions were made solely on cost-effectiveness, there would be no need for politics," forcing him to issue a tearful apology. We investigated what exactly happened. A Controversy Over the Hokuriku Shinkansen Extension Route On the 12th, the governors of the three Hokuriku prefectures petitioned for the early opening of the entire line, in a generally amicable atmosphere. However, the spark for the controversy arose the day before at a rally hosted by Fukui Prefecture. On the evening of the 11th of this month, a rally was held in Tokyo aiming for the early extension to Osaka via the "Obama-Kyoto route." Then came the following statement… Tetsuto Igarashi, Director of the Railway Bureau: "There are people who, as if deceived by officials at the Ministry of Finance, 'muttering' about B/C, and of course, as an official, I can't say that B/C is irrelevant, it's very important, but if it were decided solely on B/C, there would be no need for politics." This statement, which could be interpreted as having a predetermined conclusion, angered members of the Japan Innovation Party who had been pushing for a re-examination of the route. The Japan Innovation Party was furious at the Railway Bureau Director's statement Members of the Innovation Party, who had been discussing the extension route, held an emergency press conference on the morning of the 14th, demanding an apology and retraction of the Railway Bureau Director's statement. Secretary-General Joji Urushiyama stated, "This is an outrageous act in which the authorities themselves deny the five conditions for commencement of construction and the re-examination of the eight route patterns currently underway. It disregards the Japan Innovation Party, which is calling for discussion based on objective data, and we absolutely cannot overlook it." Furthermore, co-chairman Seiji Maehara expressed his anger, stating, "We are approaching this discussion with the understanding that we will adhere to these five conditions for commencement of construction. It is unacceptable for the Director-General of the Railway Bureau himself to make remarks that disregard these conditions." He then indicated his intention to refrain from participating in the ruling party's development committee until the demands of the Japan Innovation Party are met. The route issue, once decided, has resurfaced. Regarding the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, the "Obama-Kyoto route" was decided in 2016. However, due to opposition from local residents in Kyoto, who are concerned about the impact on groundwater, construction has yet to begin. Meanwhile, rising material costs and anticipated difficulties in construction have caused construction costs to balloon significantly, and it has become clear that the completion date will be pushed back from the initial 15 years to approximately 25 years. Therefore, the Japan Innovation Party, which joined the ruling coalition last year, has requested a reconsideration of the route, and the ruling party's development committee is currently reviewing the eight proposed routes. The plan is to decide on a route again during the current Diet session. A Senior Member of the Ishikawa Prefectural Assembly Expresses Disbelief Regarding this turmoil, Ishikawa Prefectural Assembly member Fukumura, a senior figure in the Ishikawa Prefectural Assembly, recalled the time, saying, "In 2016, we narrowed it down to three routes: Obama, Maibara, and Maizuru. We, along with the Shiga Prefectural Governor and others, pushed for the Maibara route. However, many people said the Obama route was better, and ultimately, we were told that if the Obama route was chosen, it would be completed to Osaka in 15 years. This included JR West. So, we were asked to be convinced, and since it would be completed in 15 years, we ultimately agreed." Furthermore, he expressed his disbelief, stating, "Ten years have passed since the route was decided, and not a single step has been made. The various problems in Kyoto remain unresolved. Therefore, I argued last year that we should return to the basics and reconsider. The Maizuru route was eliminated first because its B/C ratio (cost-benefit analysis) was less than 1. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism clearly stated this, so saying there's no problem is absurd." The Director of the Railway Bureau offered a tearful apology. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism was thrown into a panic by the strong backlash from the Ishin party. On the afternoon of the 14th, Director Igarashi of the Railway Bureau immediately ...