On July 15, the whole line of the Minami-Aso Railway was reopened. The railway line was heavily damaged by the earthquake that hit Kumamoto Prefecture in April, 2016. It partially resumed operations three months after the quake, but about 60 percent of it remained out of service due to restoration work.
Before the quake, foregin tourists were often seen on the sightseeing train called Yusuge-go, but after the quake they were seldom seen mainly because of COVID-19.
Local residents celebrated the reopening of full services, waving flags at many places along the line.
