Tottori: Riders on Hayabusa-model Motorbikes Gather at Sacred Place; Hayabusa Station Roars on Weekends

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:30 JST, November 30, 2024

YAZU, Tottori — Motorbike riders have been revitalizing a small unstaffed station on a local train line in Yazu, Tottori Prefecture, every weekend.

The Wakasa Railway line station has become a pilgrimage spot for the motorbike riders because the name of the station, Hayabusa, matches that of a large motorbike model from Suzuki Motor Corp.

The town, which is in a mountainous area, is usually quiet, and only about 40 people use the station a day. On weekends, however, the station is roaring with motorbike riders who come from all over the nation to see it and its surrounding areas.

Riders began gathering at the station around summer 2008 after an article in a motorbike magazine proposed the date of Aug. 8 as Hayabusa Day and called on riders with Hayabusa model bikes to gather in front of the station.

At that time, only seven Hayabusa motorbike riders heeded the call, but they promised to reconvene at the station again the following year.

Local volunteers began cooperating with the annual gathering by cleaning the station and performing other supportive tasks. On Aug. 8, 2009, the locals held an event — the Hayabusa Station Festival — featuring local specialty products and a talk show, inviting a famous motorbike racer to the town. Suzuki Motor also cooperated. About 200 riders gathered that year.

The festival has become increasingly popular. In August this year, a record high of about 2,500 riders gathered.

On Nov. 10, an event was held in which motorbike riders traveled alongside a train car featuring pictures and logos of Hayabusa model bikes. About 40 riders participated in the event and took commemorative photos in front of the station.

Wakasa Railway, the company that operates the train line, once feared that it would go out of business due to a lack of passengers. But in recent years, the train line has become a tourist attraction, and the company is back in the black. The motorbike riders’ talk about the station has even contributed to the revitalization of areas along the train line.