Boatman connects village to train station
A video about an elderly man who helps residents of the village of Kuma in Kumamoto Prefecture acess a train station across a river:
Passengers who get off at Setoishi station on the Hisatsu Line will find no buses or taxis waiting in front of the station. Pedestrians who want to cross the river and reach the village on the other side may not be able to use such forms of transportation, but they go to the riverside and shout for Mr. Kumagawa. If they’re loud enough, Kumagawa will fetch his boat and help them across the river. The service is free for village residents and only 150 yen for visitors from the outside.
Kumagawa has been acting as boatman for 30 years. Most people nowadays rely on cars for transportation nowadays (there is a bridge 2km away), but there are still about 4 or 5 passengers who require the use of Kumagawa’s boat each day. Kumagawa starts his boat service every day at 5:30AM, helping students from the village cross the river so they can commute to their high schools. He is on duty year round, regardless of weather conditions. Although he is 81-years-old, he is quite energetic and plans to continue providing the boat service as long as there are residents who need it.
[clip from ナニコレ珍百景]
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