Rail transport in Japan

• 1872 - Opening of Japan's first railway between Shinbashi (Tokyo) and Yokohama by Masaru Inoue
• 1881 - Foundation of Nippon Railway, Japan's first private railway company
• 1882 - Opening of Horonai Railway, first railway in Hokkaido
• 1888 - Opening of Iyo Railway, first railway in Shikoku
• 1889 - Opening of Kyushu Railway, first railway in Kyushu
• 1889 - Completion of the Tōkaidō Main Line
• 1893 - Class 860 steam locomotive, first locomotive built in Japan
• 1895 - Opening of Japan's first streetcar in Kyoto
• 1895 - Japan's acquisition of railway in Taiwan
• 1899 - Opening of Keijin Railway, first railway in Korea
• 1906 - Opening of first railway in Karafuto
• 1906 - Foundation of South Manchuria Railway
• 1906-1907 - Nationalization of 17 private railways
• 1914 - Opening of Tokyo Station
• 1925 - Inauguration of the Yamanote Line
• 1927 - Opening of Tokyo subway, the first subway in the East
• 1942 - Opening of Kanmon Tunnel connecting Honshu and Kyushu
• 1945 - End of World War II; railways were severely damaged
• 1949 - At the behest of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, Japanese Government Railways (JGR) was reorganized to become a state-owned public corporation named the Japanese National Railways (JNR)
• 1956 - Completion of electrification of the Tōkaidō Main Line
• 1958 - Kodama, the first EMU express between Tokyo and Osaka
• 1960 - Hatsukari, the first DMU express between Ueno (Tokyo) and Aomori
• 1964 - Opening of the first Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka
• 1975 - Retirement of steam locomotives from all JNR services (switchers remained until 1976)
• 1980 - Enactment of JNR Reconstruction Act; low-profit lines were to be abandoned
• 1987 - Privatization of the JNR; the Japan Railways Group companies succeeded the former JNR.
• 1988 - Opening of Seikan Tunnel connecting Honshu and Hokkaido
• 1988 - Opening of Great Seto Bridge connecting Honshu and Shikoku

The Japan Railways Group, more commonly known as JR Group, is a group of successors of the government-owned Japanese National Railways (JNR). The JR Group lies at the heart of Japan's railway network, operating almost all intercity rail services and a large proportion of commuter rail services.

The six passenger operating companies of the JR Group are separated by region, but many operate long-distance train services beyond their regional boundaries. The six companies are: Hokkaido Railway Company, East Japan Railway Company, Central Japan Railway Company, West Japan Railway Company, Shikoku Railway Company, and Kyushu Railway Company.

Freight service belongs to Japan Freight Railway Company or JR Freight which operates all freight network previously owned by JNR.

Japan also features multiple competing private railway systems. In post-war Japan, the Japanese government encouraged private corporations to develop their own mass transit systems in order to quickly rebuild the country's urban transport networks.[11]

Private rail lines were encouraged to compete with each other as well as the national rail lines with the government's role limited to regulation of fares. In exchange for developing rail lines, private corporations were given business opportunities to diversify their operations and develop the real estate surrounding their railway networks.

By allowing private corporations to control transit oriented developments as well as railway lines, planned communities were facilitated allowing private railway operators to establish a vertically integrated business of developing residential, business, industrial and retail land and the commuting methods used by the populace to travel between such areas.[12]

As such, through diversification of their business, the majority of the private railways in Japan are financially independent and their railway operations are usually profitable, in sharp contrast to most transit networks in other countries.[13]

The Japan Private Railway Association classifies the following 16 companies as the major private railways of Japan.[14] These companies, in total, operate 2,870.1 kilometers of rail. In a one-year period from April 2009, a total of 9.46 billion passengers (118 billion passenger kilometers) traveled by means of these major railways.[15]

• Tobu Railway
• Seibu Railway
• Keisei Electric Railway
• Keio Corporation
• Odakyu Electric Railway
• Tokyu Corporation
• Keikyu Corporation
• Tokyo Metro
• Sotetsu
• Meitetsu
• Kintetsu Railway
• Nankai Electric Railway
• Keihan Electric Railway
• Hankyu Corporation
• Hanshin Electric Railway
• Nishitetsu

Other railway operators include:

• City governments,
• "Third sector" companies funded jointly by regional governments and private companies.
• Other minor private railway companies.

In the legal sense, there are two types (with several subcategories) of rail transportation systems in Japan: railway (鉄道, tetsudō) and tramway (軌道, kidō). Every public rail transportation system under government regulation in Japan is classified either as railway or tramway. In principle, tramways can have sections shared with road traffic while railways cannot, but the choice may seem rather arbitrary in certain cases. For example, Osaka Metro is a tram system while subways in other cities are railways.[16]

Railways and trams are respectively regulated by the Railway Business Act (鉄道事業法, Tetsudō Jigyō Hō, Act No. 92 of 1986) and the Tram Act (軌道法, Kidō Hō, Act No. 76 of 1921).

Under the Railway Business Act, operations of "railways" (in the legal meaning) are divided into three categories: Category 1, Category 2 and Category 3.[17] They are defined by the Act as follows:[18]

• Category 1 Railway Business (第一種鉄道事業, Dai-isshu Tetsudō Jigyō): the business of transportation of passengers or freight by railway (except tramways) other than a Category 2 Railway Business operator.
• Category 2 Railway Business (第二種鉄道事業, Dai-nishu Tetsudō Jigyō): the business of the transportation of passengers or freight using railway tracks other than those constructed by the operator of the business (including the railway tracks constructed by others which were assigned to the operator) to meet the needs of others.
• Category 3 Railway Business (第三種鉄道事業, Dai-sanshu Tetsudō Jigyō): the business of constructing railway tracks for the purpose of assigning them to a Category 1 Railway Business operator and the business of constructing railway tracks to have a Category 2 Railway Business operator use them exclusively.

Most railway operations in Japan are Category 1. Examples of Category 2 railway businesses include most operations of the Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight) and the JR Tōzai Line operation of the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Examples of Category 3 railway businesses include the Kōbe Rapid Transit Railway company and the government of Aomori Prefecture with regards to the Aoimori Railway.

The rail system of Japan consists of the following (as of 2009):[19]

• 22,301 km (13,857 mi) of 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) (narrow gauge), of which 15,222 kilometres (9,459 mi) are electrified. Used mainly for general passenger and freight lines.
• 4,251 km (2,641 mi) of 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) (standard gauge), all electrified. Used for the Shinkansen high-speed network, various subway lines, some suburban rail lines (including the majority of "private" railway companies in the Kansai region), and a number of tram (streetcar) lines. (See list of Standard-gauge_railways).
• 96 km (60 mi) of 1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in) (Scotch gauge), all electrified. Used for the Keiō Line and the Toei Shinjuku Line (the two lines have a through service) as well as the two remaining tram (streetcar) systems in Tokyo (Toden Arakawa Line (Sakura Tram) and the Setagaya Line) and the Hakodate City Tram. (See 1372 mm gauge railways in Japan).
• 48 km (30 mi) of 762 mm (2 ft 6 in), all electrified, mostly regional. (See 2 ft 6 in gauge railways in Japan).

The national railway network was started and has been expanded with the narrow 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge. Railways with broader gauge are limited to those built not intending to provide through freight and passenger transport with the existing national network. The Shinkansen network uses standard gauge. Recently, a 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge freight railway network (partially electrified with 25 kV AC) is proposed for Hokkaido, Honshu and the northernmost Kyushu (Kanmon strait - Hakata).

Excluding the Shinkansen, even with Automatic Train Control cab signalling, most Japanese trains are limited to a maximum speed of 130 km/h (81 mph), which restricts the viability of longer-distance routes. This is due to legislation restricting emergency stopping distances of trains to 600 m (2,000 ft) on a railway with grade crossings. Grade separated railways, without grade crossings, are not subject to such legislation. Both the Keisei Narita Airport Line, and formerly the Hokuhoku Line, being grade separated, currently operate or operated at a posted speed limit of 160 km/h (99 mph), the latter being the fastest narrow-gauge line in Japan. [20]

Due to the tight and twisty nature of Japanese narrow-gauge railways, many intercity/limited express services also extensively utilise tilting trains, which shorten travel time by enabling a train to corner faster. Kamome, (883 series and 885 series), Azusa (E353 series) and Shinano (383 series) are some examples of limited express services ran by tilting trains.

Electrification systems used by the JR Group are 1,500 V DC and 20 kV AC for conventional lines, and 25 kV AC for Shinkansen. Electrification with 600 V DC and 750 V DC are also seen in private lines. Frequency of AC power supply is 50 Hz in eastern Japan and 60 Hz in western Japan.

Japanese national network operated by Japan Railways Group employs narrow gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) and has maximum width of 3,000 mm (9 ft 10 in) and maximum height of 4,100 mm (13 ft 5 in); however, a number JR lines were constructed as private railways prior to nationalisation in the early 20th century, and feature loading gauges smaller than the standard. These include the Chūō Main Line west of Takao, the Minobu Line, and the Yosan Main Line west of Kan'onji (3,900 mm (12 ft 10 in) height). Nevertheless, advances in pantograph technology have largely eliminated the need for separate rolling stock in these areas.

There are many private railway companies in Japan and the loading gauge is different for each company.

• Russia: proposed fixed link, break-of-gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)/1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) (with 25 kV 50 Hz AC) in the northern Hokkaido. (see Sakhalin-Hokkaido Tunnel)
• China: proposed trainferries from Hakata to Shanghai, and from Shimonoseki to Dalian. (both with 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) on board)
• United States: proposed trainferry from Kushiro to Seattle. (with 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) on board)
• Canada: proposed trainferry from Kushiro to Vancouver. (with 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) on board)
• South Korea: proposed trainferry from Sasebo to Busan. (with 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) on board)

Ticket barriers at Shinjuku Station

Rail transport in Japan is usually for a fee. In principle a fare is pre-charged and a ticket is issued in exchange for a payment of fare. A ticket is inspected at a staffed or automated gate in the station where a travel starts and is collected at the station where the travel ends.

A ticket required for a travel by railway is called a fare ticket (乗車券, jōshaken), the price of which is fare (運賃, unchin). The fare ticket is valid regardless of number of transfers. Long-distance travellers (usually longer than 101 km) are allowed unlimited number of stopovers (途中下車, tochū-gesha) along the route subject to the duration of the validity of the fare ticket. In addition, a ride on a specific train and/or coach may require a surcharge ticket (料金券, ryōkinken).

Except for very short railways and some tram systems with a flat fare, fare varies by distances or number of zones travelled. The pricing based on the time of travel (peak or off-peak) is not common in Japan. Children fare (小児運賃, shōni-unchin) for children between 6 and 12 is half of adult fare. Recent development in the fare collection system is the stored-value card systems shared by multiple operators in large cities, such as Suica, Pasmo and PiTaPa, by which passengers can avoid consultation with complicated fare tables and lineups for ticket machines before each train ride.

There are many types of surcharges. For example, in JR, surcharges include:

• Express fee (急行料金, kyūkō ryōkin) for travel on an "express train"
• Limited express fee (特急料金, tokkyū ryōkin) for travel on a reserved seat of a "limited express train"
• Non-reserved limited express fee (自由席特急料金, jiyūseki tokkyū ryōkin) for travel on a non-reserved seat of a "limited express train"
• Reserved seat fee (指定席料金, shiteiseki ryōkin) for travel on a reserved seat of trains except for a "limited express train"
• Green fee (グリーン料金, gurīn ryōkin) for travel on a special coach called "Green Car"
• Bed fee (寝台料金, shindai ryōkin) for travel on a sleeping car

An unusual feature of Japanese surcharges, compared with other train systems, is that they often require a separate ticket. Thus, if riding the shinkansen, for instance, rather than purchasing a single shinkansen ticket, one purchases two tickets: a fare ticket (乗車券) for the distance traveled, and an additional shinkansen ticket (新幹線特急券, shinkansen tokkyūken, shinkansen special express ticket) to allow one to ride the shinkansen for that distance, rather than ordinary trains. Since express trains are not separated by special gates from ordinary trains, express service requires manual inspection of tickets by a conductor, and express tickets can be purchased from the conductor. However, an increasing number of gates can now accept both fare and express tickets. In short, the fare ticket allows access to the train platforms at entrance and exit, where it is inspected by the gate or attendant at the station, while the express ticket allows one to ride an express train over the interval and is inspected by a conductor on the train.

Sign of "Rapid" train

Suburban or intercity railway lines usually set several types of trains (列車種別, ressha shubetsu) with different stop patterns.

A train that stops at every station is called a local train (普通列車/各駅停車, futsū-ressha/kakueki-teisha). Only a fare ticket is required to ride local trains. Trains that stop at fewer stations and are therefore faster than local trains are classified as Rapid (快速, kaisoku), Express (急行, kyūkō), Limited Express (特急, tokkyū), etc. and may require surcharges depending on company policies. Railways with many types of trains use prefixes like "semi-", "rapid-", "section-", or "commuter-". For example, the Tōbu Isesaki Line has Local, Section Semi-Express, Semi-Express, Section Express, Express, Rapid, Section Rapid, and Limited Express.

Train operators usually name long-distance trains (Kintetsu is a rare exception of this practice). The process of ticket reservation utilizes the train names instead of the train numbers. Train numbers are almost exclusively for professional use.

Railway lines have adopted station numbering in preparation for Tokyo 2020, making it easier for tourists to distinguish the stations. Station numbering was previously exclusive to subway lines.

All the railway and tram lines in Japan are named by the operators. In principle (with some exceptions), a section of railway has only one name. Line names are shown on a ticket to indicate the route of the ticket. Passengers refer the railway by the name of line (e.g. "Tōyoko Line") or the name of operator (e.g. "Hanshin").

The line names may come from a name of destination or a city along the line (e.g. the "Takasaki Line" goes to Takasaki, Gunma); a name of region (e.g. the "Tōhoku Main Line" goes through the Tōhoku region); an abbreviation of provinces or cities (e.g. the "Gonō Line" connects Goshogawara and Noshiro); or a course of the line (e.g. the "Tōzai Line" means the East-West Line).

Line names were used as a basis for the restructuring of JNR in the 1980s. The railway business was evaluated line-by-line in order to identify significantly unprofitable lines for closure. This left some unnamed branch lines, which would have been closed if they had line names, unaffected by the restructure.

In some cases the current route of a railway has changed but the historic line name has not reflected the change, in which case the operational name will be different from the original line name. Examples include the Keihin-Tōhoku Line and the Shōnan-Shinjuku Line.

Japanese railways are among the most punctual in the world. The average delay on the Tokaido Shinkansen in fiscal 2018 was 0.7 minutes.[21] When trains are delayed for five minutes, the conductor makes an announcement apologizing for the delay and the railway company may provide a "delay certificate" (遅延証明書). Japanese passengers rely heavily on rail transit and take it for granted that trains operate on time. When trains are delayed for an hour or more, it may even appear in the newspaper.[22] However, some argue that railway staff are under too much pressure from the public.

Ladies-only car on JR West

One of the most widely publicized crimes committed on trains is chikan or groping, taking advantage of overcrowded cars and a reluctance for people to ask for help, or to jump to the aid of another. A recent trend for railway companies to promote their lines is to service female-only cars on some trains (typically during morning rush-hours and late night trains, and often the front or back car) and is quickly becoming a standard practice, especially among Tokyo's busy commuter lines.

The Japanese language has a number of expressions for fare evasion. One is Satsuma-no-kami. It is a reference to Taira Satsuma-no-kami Tadanori, a member of the Taira clan who is mentioned in the Tale of the Heike. His name, Tadanori, is pronounced the same as words meaning "riding for free".

Another expression is kiseru jōsha. This refers to a kiseru, a smoking pipe that has a long hollow section made of bamboo between the bowl (where the smoke enters) and the mouthpiece (where it leaves) made of metal. Based on an association of metal and money, kiseru jōsha is the practice of using one ticket to enter the train system and a different ticket to exit, with a long unpaid segment in the middle – purchasing two separate tickets, covering just the initial and final segments of the journey (corresponding to the bowl and mouthpiece), rather than one ticket for the whole length.

Other notable crimes staged in railway facilities in Japan include the assassination of the Prime Minister Hara Takashi in Tokyo Station in 1921, the deliberate train wreck at Mitaka Station in 1949 and the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995.

Police officers clearing up the remains of a suicide in Saitama Prefecture, February 2006

Trains are also used as a means to commit suicide. Its relative popularity is partly due to its practical ease, and to avoid causing a nuisance to one's family, although families are often charged or sued by the railway companies to compensate for the trouble caused by the accident. Suicides often cause delays on the lines on which they occur. The deceased's family may be charged damages on the order of approximately 1 million yen by railway operating companies.[23] Railroad operators have taken steps to discourage and prevent suicides. This includes use of blue LED lights in stations, which officials hope will calm potential jumpers.[24] Platform edge doors are also being installed at numerous stations in an effort to keep people contained on the platform until the train arrives.[25]

Shoppers, travelers, and hotel guests share Kyoto Station

An important aspect of the romance of the rails in Japan is the ekiben, the station bento lunchbox. The first pre-packed station lunchboxes originated at Utsunomiya Station in 1885 and became an instant success.[26] Many stations (eki) around the country soon began to make special bento featuring local specialties such as seafood, meat or vegetables. Including generous portions of rice, the ekiben was a complete meal. It was often served in a wooden box; nowadays cardboard and plastics have become popular, although wooden chopsticks still accompany the ekiben. The Central Committee of the Japanese Association of Railroad Station Concessionaires (社団法人日本鉄道構内営業中央会) is a prominent trade organization promoting ekiben.

Japanese books and television feature rail transport in various contexts. Examples include travelogues visiting rustic routes or unusual trains, such as the popular Sci-Fi franchise Galaxy Express 999 or murder mysteries on sleeper trains.

A major television series based on rail transport, Ressha Sentai ToQger, was broadcast on TV Asahi from 2014 to 2015.

Densha de Go! is a series of Japanese train simulators.