SAPPORO -- The newest Japanese bullet train line to Hokkaido operated at less than one-third of capacity in its first 16 days, making a far less auspicious debut than the previous extension of the nation's ultrahigh-speed rail network.
With no prospect of the new line turning a profit anytime soon, the challenge will be to limit losses by attracting more visitors to the northern island of Hokkaido, both from Tokyo and further north.
