Feature From Meiji to the Present: Looking Back on 150 Years of Progress JAPAN’S RAILWAY LEGACY

1

Japan’s railways have made massive technological advances since the first line opened during the early Meiji Period. The superb rail network that TAMAKI KAWASAKI now extends across the country—with shinkansen (bullet trains) running as frequently as commuter trains—offers a treasure trove of technology and know-how that is also being exported overseas.

AIL technology first reached day. The advent of the shinkansen cables were being laid, and the Japanese shores in 1853, in 1964 cut that time radically, and country feared being left behind R when Japanese people is now under two and a half hours— by accelerating markets and the were astounded by the technical spawning technology, techniques globalization of information sophistication of a model of a and know-how that Japan exports the transport and information Russian steam locomotive brought overseas. revolutions had enabled. When on a ship that landed in Nagasaki. Naofumi Nakamura, professor competition intensified in the Japan’s first train line opened nearly at The University of Tokyo’s global market, railway materials two decades later in 1872—twenty- Institute of Social Science, explains became cheaper and more nine kilometers of rail connecting that international factors greatly available, which boosted Japan’s Shimbashi in Tokyo with Yokohama. influenced the railway’s quick ability to purchase them. Many The railway became a symbol spread during the Meiji Period. leading overseas manufacturers of Japan’s efforts to Westernize, Japan’s drive to construct a railway from countries like England, and was even depicted in ukiyo-e began in earnest in 1869, the same the U.S. and Germany entered woodblock prints. year that saw a revolution in the the Japanese market, supplying The Tokaido Main Line, world’s transportation systems, excellent machinery and completed in 1889, stretched all including the Suez Canal and the locomotives. Japanese engineers the way from Shimbashi to Kobe. opening of the transcontinental learned sophisticated techniques Traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto by railway in the U.S. from these exemplars, leading to train shortened the journey from Japan also took the plunge into the development of Japanese-built around twelve days—stopping at railway construction because locomotives toward the end of the inn towns along the way—to a single transatlantic communication Meiji Period.

8 highlighting japan 2

4

1 The Linear Chuo Shinkansen Line is expected to reach speeds of 500 kilometers per hour | Photo by Central Japan Railway Company 2 Yasujiro Shima helped devise a locomotive adapted to Japan's narrow rails | Photo by kyoto railway museum 3 A test carriage for Japan's famous bullet train | Photo by Railway Technical Research Institute 4 Yasujiro Shima led the government's railway 3 construction department for decades | Photo by Railway Technical Research Institute

One person who played an between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka this mountainous nation the instrumental part in advancing in just four hours. Narrow- people congregate on flat land, rail technologies domestically gauge tracks had hindered and they ride the rails at an was railway engineer Yasujiro transportation capacity during exceptionally high rate, even Shima. Shima learned about this period of burgeoning national on an international scale. In the railways in Germany, and power, but Shinji Sogo—who process of adding carriages and in 1906 took control of the became president of the national increasing the number of train Japanese government’s railway railway after the war—was able to services, Japanese railways construction department after it lay wider, standard-gauge tracks became increasingly precise. was nationalized. He later helped for the shinkansen, enabling “The shinkansen network— devise a compact locomotive rapid, high-capacity transport. Japan’s artery—is now reaching its adapted to Japan’s narrow-gauge A strong rail network spread limit, and we need to add routes,” tracks. The outbreak of World through the country, and today Nakamura says. One such route is War I decimated global markets, the shinkansen runs at three- the Linear Chuo Shinkansen Line, consequently creating favorable minute intervals and travels which is still under construction. conditions for Japanese railway at 300 kilometers per hour. It is a track for maglev trains development to flourish without Nakamura asserts that the capable of traveling at speeds the threat of imports. singularly safe and punctual of 500 kilometers per hour, so it The Tokaido Shinkansen operation of Japan’s railways seems that Japanese railways will began service in 1964, the pivotal owes its development to high continue to stun the world with year of the Tokyo Olympic population density and the its technological advances. and Paralympic Games, racing high frequency of travel. In

october 2018 9