LDP Committee Endorses Katsuragawa Route for Hokuriku Shinkansen Extension

A committee within Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has compiled a report recommending the “Katsuragawa Route” as the preferred alignment for extending the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka. The proposal, which was detailed in a report released on 15 July 2026, identifies this specific path as the most desirable option among the “Obama-Kyoto Route” proposals currently under consideration.

The recommended route would extend from Obama City in Fukui Prefecture through Kyoto City. Specifically, the plan involves a track passing near Katsuragawa Station, which is situated to the west of Kyoto Station. This selection represents a formal political preference from the ruling party’s infrastructure committee, narrowing the field of potential alignments for the major railway project.

The development was reported by NHK News Japan on the same day the report was compiled. While the recommendation carries weight within the ruling party, it is important to note that the report constitutes a political stance rather than final government policy. It does not yet confirm construction plans or secure funding approval.

The Hokuriku Shinkansen extension has been subject to ongoing policy discussions, with the “Obama-Kyoto Route” serving as one of several proposed alignments for the line’s expansion. The LDP committee’s endorsement of the Katsuragawa option suggests a consolidation of support within the party for this particular geographic path, which connects Fukui and Kyoto prefectures before reaching the Osaka metropolitan area.

No timeline for implementation, legislative steps, or financial commitments has been specified in the source material. The report remains an early-stage policy discussion, and the route is not guaranteed to proceed to the construction phase without further government approval and budgetary allocation.