you may think that you are a joke

I think that it is an accident showing the problem which Japanese society has, although this is a guess. We Japanese consider automatically that a railroad is exact and natural. Even the young Japanese are educated in this accuracy. Therefore, people make a complaint if a train is overdue by just several minutes. A foreigner will be heard jesting about the following. If a train is several minutes behind, a conductor will announce an apology to the passengers in the car. Information is already displayed on the guidance display board of the station.
If a train is behind enough, a station employee will receive a complaint from a passenger. It will be reported on the television news if a train is 30 minutes behind, and the station is already heavily congested and gets confused.
A passenger will become irritated and get angry. If a train is 1 hour behind, it will be reported to a national newspaper. It is top news.
Generally, the news with the images of many passengers' faces of anger are shown. This is a fact although you may think that it is a joke. Present Japan is faced with an aging society. Japan may be unable to maintain such a delicate and precise society. As for the railroad of Japan, this accuracy is maintained by many railroad workers' efforts. However, a railroad of Japan is the structure of scarce equipment of a margin from the outset.

9:19 a.m. on April 25, 2005.FUKUCHIYAMA Line

The accuracy of the railroads of Japan is Japanese culture.
In fact, this is not only a good thing. For example, the houses in Japan are small and narrow and the cities are overcrowded. The price of land is also very expensive. That is, there is no margin for the equipment of a station or a track. If the time of one train is overdue, it will fall into wild confusion.
Therefore, operation of the railroads of Japan need to operate correctly.
This is what Japanese society can say generally. Japanese society is a very nervous society. It is too delicate. A symbolic accident was a derailment rollover accident of a train on the Fukuchiyama Line in Hyogo Prefecture in 2005. It was a tragic accident at 9:19 a.m. on April 25, 2005. The local train of the Fukuchiyama Line was derailed with the curve between Tsukaguchi Station and Amagasaki Station. Two cars at the head of the train crashed into an apartment building at the side of the track. The train which caused this accident was exceeding the speed limit. When a train is delayed, Japanese railroad companies receive many complaints from the passengers. The delayed driver received severe instruction from the railroad company. Therefore, the driver of the train, which was behind, was cornered mentally. However, the driver passed away, and 107 people were killed in this big accident.

Do you execute a driver in Japan?

Foreign countries only include delays of 15 minutes or more in their delay statistics. That is, operation of the scheduled time in Japan is a delay of less than 1 minute in statistics, whereas operation of the foreign scheduled time is a delay of less than 15 minutes in statistics. For example, statistics of the inter city in Britain in 1997 are provided by the British parliament. The operating efficiency of the scheduled time was 88.2%. However, the delays of less than 10 minutes are not included in the statistics at all. This is an important point. Statistics of the sleeping cars of Scotland have included delays of 30 minutes or more. Which means that one of eight sleeper trains in Scotland will be late by 30 minutes or more.
A group of inspectors of the railroads of Germany famous for exact operation made a joke about trains in Japan. They said, "If a train is behind, do you execute the driver in Japan?" I am proud of the correctness in operation of Japanese trains. However, in fact, it is not necessarily a desirable thing. A foreigner will think how such a thing is possible. If you want to know Japanese culture and society, you should investigate a railroad of Japan. A railroad of Japan is just a miniature of Japanese society. A railroad of Japan is not simply exact. It has the tense social situation which must be operated strictly.

little delay of a Japanese train.

It is surprising that there are little delays of Japanese trains. Foreigners who visit Japan are surprised the most as they think that it is an exaggeration until it they actually see it. Also, foreigners are generally surprised if if they go to Shinjuku Station and Tokyo Station in the morning rush hour. It is crazy. I cannot believe this. Therefore, Shinjuku Station and Tokyo Station are the foreigner's sightseeing spots in the mornings. It is the cultural scenery of Japan purer than Kyoto. I introduce these statistics. The question is reasonable. There are a number of statistics for 1999. The largest Japanese railroad company is JR East Japan. This manages the railroads of Tokyo, which is the capital, and also manages the TOHOKU, JOETI, and NAGANO Shinkansen. The average delay of one of all these Shinkansen is 0.3 minute. The average of the delay of the railroads of the other trains is 1 minute. 97% of all trains of the Shinkansen are driven at the scheduled time. 87% of other railroads are operated at the scheduled time. When you see statistics here, please fully consider the following point. The operation of the scheduled time of Japan is less than 1 minute delay. By statistics of Japan, all the delays of 1 minute or more are recorded as a delay.

The strong of Shinkansen is not in speed.

In fact, the wonderful strong point of the Shinkansen is not its speed.
Now, Britain, the U.S., and Vietnam are considering a plan for a new rapid transit railway. The governor of California, in the U.S., test-rode the Shinkansen the other day and commented on how quick and quiet it was.
However, this is looking at only the surface. A level of maintenance of the tracks or vehicles is required otherwise damage could easily be caused to the Shinkansen. These are maintained every day, after the Shinkansen starts business. The failure of it decreases remarkably. It appears in the height of safety. It turns out that this is expensive difficult technology. That is, a rapid transit railway should be estimated by the collective strength. In order to only gather a high speed with a test temporarily, the rapid transit railway would not exist.
Since the first operation of the Tokaido Shinkansen, about 40 years have passed and a passenger's death accident has not occurred at all. This is true for other Shinkansen also. The Shinkansen runs safely and correctly today, and also at high speed.
Japanese people can use a train instead of a clock. Reliability is important for a means of transportation with public responsibility. The chief engineer HIDEO SHIMA left the following message. I do not use new technology for the Shinkansen. I use only the technology which has a track record in the Shinkansen. However, I will use improvable technology for the Shinkansen in the future.

It is 0.3 or less minute.

The number of users of the Tokaido Shinkansen as per the data in March, 2007, is 398,000 persons per day. This is the total number of users per day.
In 2007, there were 145 million users of Tokaido Shinkansen in one year.
The number of the trains per day was about 300. The Shinkansen is in operation from 6 o'clock in the morning to 11 o'clock at night. The freight trains do not run at all.
People from most foreign countries are surprised at this. However, there is some more surprising data. It is the average delay of the Shinkansen.
The average delay is 0.3 of a minute per train. There are only three homes of the Shinkansen at the terminal Tokyo Station. There are six tracks. The 300 Tokaido Shinkansen trains are correctly operated with equipment of the tracks like this every day. Furthermore, although this is a very important thing, statistics of delays of a Japanese train are very strict. All delays of 1 minute or more are included in the statistics. In foreign statistics, only the delays of 15 minutes or more are included. Japan is a country with many typhoon, snow and earthquakes which are all included in statistics. However, it is still 0.3 or less of a minute.

DANGAN-TRAIN continued to Tokaido Shinkansen

The Shinkansen under construction was still afflicted by the financial deficit.
Many of the Diet members were dissatisfied with JNR. "Why do you use precious funds for an outdated railroad?", they criticized. JNR submitted a courageous idea. They took out a loan of 80 million dollars(1$=360yen) from the World Bank for this project on May 1st, 1961. This amount of money was a large amount, too much. There were many opposing opinions in the World Bank but, they decided to approve the loan. Incidentally, the payments were completed on this loan in 1981.
The Shinkansen project turned into a national project of Japan by having taken out this loan. Japan under revival from the war took a heavy responsibility. It was no longer allowed to call off the Shinkansen plan according to the domestic situation. The failure meant influencing other national development programs of industrial technology. There was an unexpected ally. The tunnel made at the time of construction of the DANGAN-TRAIN was utilized. Also, there were many of the purchased lots remaining. These, which were considered as useless, were utilized for the Tokaido Shinkansen. This was the reason that the Tokaido Shinkansen was completed in a short period of time of five years. Therefore, the DANGAN-TRAIN plan of the phantom was the leading role of the success of the Tokaido Shinkansen. TOGAWA and YASUZIRO(The father of HIDEO SHIMA) were officers of the South Manchuria Railway. The phantoms of the South Manchuria Railway and the DANGAN-TRAIN continued to the Tokaido Shinkansen.

The economist magazine of Britain in 1998

The Economist magazine of Britain in 1998 wrote a report in this way.
If all the passengers of the Shinkansen turned into a passenger in a car, the people killed in a traffic accident would increase by 1800 persons every year. And probably, the number of injured persons would increase by 10000.

The airport in Japan is so overcrowded that it is fearful even now. Probably, the number has become insufficient absolutely. However, the land is not in a big city. Probably, it has the possibility of a big airplane accident.

Also the highways may be violently congested. They stop the physical distribution. Probably, they stagnate a high growth of Japan. Furthermore, they probably had a fatal influence on the natural environment of Japan. And Japan may have become far from the society of energy saving.

The success of the Shinkansen spread the rapid transit railway throughout the world. This has been hugely helpful to the protection of the environment and the earth. The Shinkansen is progressing technology still now. As for the top speed, no less than 320 km/h is realistic.

The Shinkansen built to travel to Sapporo in Hokkaido will recapture the passengers from airplanes.
It is becoming realistic in respect of the time required by the progress of technology.

Also, in Haneda Airport, a margin has been produced. It seems that the Hokkaido Shinkansen can fulfill the request of the entrance of the airplane in every country in the world.

A success of the Shinkansen influences on Japan.

The success of the Shinkansen had various influences on Japan and the world.
Since October, 2009, the time it takes to travel between Tokyo-Station and Shin-Osaka is 2 hours and 25 minutes. The top speed operates at 270 km/h. The Tokaido Shinkansen has become indispensable as a means for carrying out high-speed movement between the two biggest cities in Japan, Tokyo and Osaka. There are about 300 trains operated per day. The Tokaido Shinkansen is a train line which has the top-class operating income in the world. Probably, Japan would have reached a serious situation if it was not for the Tokaido Shinkansen. The conventional main Tokaido line took about 7 hours from Tokyo to Osaka. Since the gap the fare with an airplane was more expensive, the Shinkansen became popular. However, the fares of the large-sized airplane fell so the passengers had a choice to take an airplane.
The same phenomenon happened to change the means of transportation of the passengers between Tokyo and Sapporo. 90% of the passengers who travel between Tokyo and Sapporo go by airplane. The number of passengers on that air route is the world's No.1. When carrying all the visitors of the Tokaido Shinkansen by airplane, a further 9 times as many airplanes are required.
If it was a bus for 40 persons, an operation with a 10-second interval would be required.

Two persons' SAMURAI of SHIKANSEN

SOGO submitted a proposal of the budget of a small sum to Parliament.
He to whom this has courage fought as his manager. This was a strategy. The building program of the Shinkansen was recognized in Parliament in 1958. A ground-breaking ceremony was held on April 20th, 1959. The Diet members were surprised. The total cost of the construction was corrected from the schedule from the beginning. It changed to 380 billion yen. This also caused a rapid rise of the price of land. SOGO had refused construction of a new route which resulted in a local loss. Originally, his judgment was right. Otherwise, he completed a railroad reservation system called MARS which was famous around the world. It is a result of the MARS system. Completion of this system greatly contributed to the progress of Japanese computers. Moreover, he accepted construction of the longest Seikan Tunnel in the world for the Shinkansen to Hokkaido.
It was all an important investment for present Japan. However, the local Diet members blamed him. He resigned as President of JNR just before completion of the Shinkansen. SHIMA who was the chief engineer also resigned from JNR.
They were not invited to the ceremony of the launch of the first Shinkansen, either. Were it not for these two people there wouldn't have been an economical development for present Japan. This is not an exaggeration.

The Next big construction in the world. SHINKANSEN

Those days, in the West, high-speed transportation of airplanes and highways were considered to be the newest means of transportation. The railroad was already considered to be an inconvenient outdated vehicle. Even in Japan, many politicians and scholars had such an opinion. Therefore, even the personnel of JNR were dissatisfied with the plan to build the Shinkansen.
Hiroyuki Agawa, a Japanese railroad fan's famous writer, said "There are three absurdly big constructions in the world. They are the construction of Battleship YAMATO, construction of the Great Wall, and construction of the pyramids. These are three foolishly big constructions in the world which are not helpful. And the construction of the Shinkansen is the same as the construction of the 2nd battleship YAMATO. Although Battleship YAMATO was a large-sized battleship, it was sunk by the power of the airplane. Construction of the Shinkansen is the same. It is too outdated and a foolish waste of money. Now, airplanes and cars are state-of-the-art means of transportation. This outdated management of the Shinkansen will go wrong and will be ridiculed by the world."
He and a newspaper criticized the plan of the Shinkansen in this way. Such opinions were actually many opinions of people of those days and the government. There were other problems. The economy of Japan of those days was still at the struggling to revive following the defeat. Japan was insufficient of funds to perform the carpentry of such huge, new technology.

SHINKANSEN were called the outdated fool!

In the 1950s, the demand of transportation on the railroads through revival of the Pacific War grew rapidly. Especially the transport capacity of the main Tokaido line which was the primary important main line in Japan of those days and had almost reached its limit. Whole-line electrification of the main Tokaido line was completed at last in 1956. However, the shortage of transport capacity was still serious. In 1957, JNR planned to reinforce the transport capacity of the main Tokaido line. It had the following three proposals: One proposal was to make the main Tokaido line of the existing narrow gauge a four-track line. Another was a proposal to completely reconstruct the track with another double track. It had a proposal of a standard orbit, and a proposal of a narrow gauge. Originally for reinforcement of the transport capacity of Tokaido, JNR must have determined the proposal of the four-track line. However, President SOGO JNR and a SHIMA engineer considered the possibilities of the future railroad and they dared to determine construction of the new line with an orbit of the width of difficult international standards. It resembled the DANGAN-TRAIN plan of the pre-war days. By progress of post-war technology, it became a completely innovative design. However, it was too difficult a plan. It was not only technically difficult but they were also called outdated fools from the world or Japanese people. They put up with criticism and blame.

The limited express train 3000 type SE series

The Electric Multiple-Unit was even able to gather high speed with the track laid in a weak foundation. However, when the Shinkansen was planned, the steam locomotive was still mainly being used. Moreover, the system of traction by an engine was also the main one used throughout the world. This situation has not changed even now. In the West, there is often traction by an engine. However, JNR of those days had many trains which were still towed by an engine. This was also the plan for the DANGAN-TRAIN. However, TAKEO SHIMA which was a chief engineer understood the possibilities of trains in Japan. This became a large cause of the success of the present Shinkansen. In 1950, the 80 series Electric Multiple-Unit developed by the SHIMA engineer's initiative became a prototype of the Shinkansen. This success brought about the result that the train was excellent also in long-distance operation.
Odakyu Electric Railway, which is a private line in Tokyo, manufactured streamlined limited express 3000 type trains with Electric Multiple-Unit "SE series" in 1957. This was the design influenced by the "electro liner" developed in the United States in 1941. The highest speed was nearing 145 km/h. JNR borrowed the SE series from Odakyu for the purpose of research of high speed operation. JNR did speed tests of the SE series on the main Tokaido line in September, 1957. It attained 145 km/h. It was a world speed record in a narrow gauge railway in those days.

JNR were far-sighted. SHINKANSEN history

It was already difficult for JNR to build the Shinkansen. However, as for the important thing, construction of the DANGAN-TRAIN was continued even in the middle of the Pacific War here. This was said to be useless work during the war in those days. However, it had an unexpected effect later. The economy of Japan revived completely after the Korean War in 1950. Then, the demand for transportation on the railroads of Japan increased rapidly. It already reached the limit. However, JNR were far-sighted. The Japanese company discharged employees after the defeat. However, JNR employed an excellent engineer from the army who lost his job after the defeat of Japan at the time of the confusion. This was useful for the solution of the vibration of the vehicles under high-speed. The researcher of the Japanese warplanes Japan were useful for the solution of the problem of air resistance. In 1955, SHINZI SOGO, the President of JNR, appointed HIDEO SHIMA as the chief of the engineer team. These engineers promoted the plan of the Shinkansen after that. Japan is an island country with many mountain ranges. And Japan is quake-prone and its geology is not good, either. In order to drive a train at high speed, the system which gives power to each vehicle was suitable in Japan. The Electric Multiple-Unit and Diesel Multiple-Unit are suitable for tracks with many curves and slopes. That is because they have a good capability of acceleration and slowdown. The burden of the weight on the track is small.

JNR had affected even the history in the world.

The railroad of Japan carried food to the cities devastated by the air raids. Moreover, the occupation forces' headquarters were troubled with supplies as most harbors in Japan were blocked by the Allied Forces' mines. Furthermore, there were many mountain ranges throughout Japan and the roads were not paved. Japan of those days did not have any highways etc. First of all, cars were almost all destroyed and the shortage of oil also caused a problem.
For this reason, the occupation forces made JNR drive trains for their exclusive use.
Even the occupation forces were troubled with starvation when there was no transportation on the railroads. And it may have made the people of ordinary Japan become increasingly destitute. Prudent parents cannot bear a child's starvation. It may have caused riots to generate. It may have become a tragedy like the "kamikaze" pilots. The wild confusion may have induced participation in the riots of the Soviet Union. It was a time of a cold war with nuclear weapons. It meant a decisive confrontation with the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The strikes by the socialists who had influence of the Soviet Union had actually occurred frequently in Japan in those days. Moreover, the demonstrations which required popular food occurred frequently. The U.S. may have become difficult about the victory of the Korean War because of the problem of supplies. The exact operation of the railroad of Japan affected the history of the world.

Japan RailRoad on August 15, 1945.

For several years after the conclusion of the Pacific War, Japan was a country of burned fields. However, the railroad of the whole country was operated almost correctly, even when on August 15th, 1945 Japan surrendered.
This is a very surprising thing. The Japan's railroads suffered from intense air raids by the Allied Forces, and the railroads of Hiroshima or Nagasaki were destroyed by the atomic bomb. However, they were immediately restored by the excellent engineers of JNR. The Japanese vessel was annihilated by air raids or submarines. However, the Allied Forces' overwhelming military power was not able to stop the operation of Japan's railroads. However, it had been reduced to operation of only the local trains although the freight train were also used.
All trains were in severe confusion. People were even on the roofs of the train. However, the trains were still driven almost correctly. When there was no operation of the railroads of Japan, occupation forces would see a nightmare.
Although Japanese people worried about starvation, they were obedient to the occupation forces. That is because the railroad carried food all over the country. When there was no operation of a railroad of Japan, there was also fear of riots generating to the occupation forces. However, it meant there was a miserable situation again. By the Allied Forces' repression, Japanese people performed guerrilla activities in the mountain ranges.

The Shinkansen of a phantom. DANGAN TRAIN

YASUZIRO SHIMA carried out the opinion to change the railroad orbit width in Japan. He had a talent as a producer rather than an engineer. Therefore, he was engaged in the management of the South Manchuria Railway. In 1931, war started in China. Then, the traffic of the main Tokaido line was saturated instantly and the Japanese government considered construction of a new railroad in 1938. As the island parent and child had participated in this plan, naturally, this railroad was planned on the orbit of an international standard width. Here, the important thing is that this was a plan of the phantom different from the present Shinkansen. In fact, the word "Shinkansen" was made by this time and was used to mean a new main line. However, this plan was called the train of a high-speed like a bullet in those days and was called a DANGAN-TRAIN. A 200-km/h operation was planned in the section of electrification of this plan. This plan was to be constructed from Tokyo to Shimonoseki. Furthermore, there was a plan to build an undersea tunnel in the Tsushima Strait. This considered connection to Manchuria and Korea which Japan of those days governed. However, the Pacific War soon followed and despite the purchase and construction of some long tunnels already being started, this plan is called off because of the war. Therefore, this plan is called the Shinkansen of a phantom. However, this plan had a very important meaning for construction of the next Tokaido Shinkansen.

History of the Shinkansen of Japan "Ltd Exp ASIA"

A narrow gauge was used for the railroads of the Meiji Era in Japan because of a problem of cost. Therefore, in Japan, high speed driving like European and American railroads was not completed. The top speed of the railroads of Japan was 100km/h or less in 1950. Some Japanese politicians and engineers demanded a change of orbital width. However, it was not successful after all from a political situation, a budget problem, etc. Development of the realistic high speed train in Japan started in South Manchuria Railway before the Pacific War. It is in the north-eastern part of present China. This company was managed by capital and technology from Japan. Therefore, almost all the management and engineers were Japanese. The South Manchuria Railway of those days was steam locomotive traction. However, the width of the track was an orbit of the width of a 1,435-mm international standard. In 1934, South Manchuria Railway developed the PASINA series which is the streamlined steam locomotive set by fashion of the West of those days. The South Manchuria Railway connected organization of a streamlined coach with this engine. This is Ltd Express Asia. However, there was a train of a 180-km/h steam locomotive in the West. YASUZIRO SHIMA was in the developer of this limited express ASIA. He is a father of Shinkansen chief engineer HIDEO SHIMA. The Shinkansen was completed by the dream of these two great engineers' parent and child.

JAPAN JNR The 485 Series Ltd.Express Electric Multiple-Unit

The 485 series are the groups of memorable JNR representation vehicles used for the limited express trains which are the most numerous limited express trains used by JNR. The feature of the electrified section is able to run anywhere.
The 485 series were operated from Hakodate in Hokkaido to Kagoshima in Kyushu. The design is very characteristic. In particular, the body of an early bonnet is famous. The designs of the 485 series are the vehicles which almost all Japanese know and they first appeared in 1964. The first 485 series were employed on the Hokuriku Line. It is the track famous for the fire accident in the Hokuriku tunnel.
The head already had a characteristic bonnet type. These vehicles converted a motor in 1968 and came to be called the 485 series and it the area of their activity was extended to all parts of Japan. Then, the design of the top of the vehicle was changed.
A door was attached to it, which was a reconstruction for the connection of a train.
These 485 series are still used as a limited express in Japan.
Moreover, the Seikan Tunnel which is the longest undersea tunnel in the world, is where the 485 series is also operated.

JAPAN JNR The 457 Series Express Electric Multiple-Unit

The latest express in Japan carries a new style motor from the 153 series Electric Multiple-Unit. JNR promoted electrification of the local routes. Electrification of the main line till then was electrification by direct current. JNR promoted electrification by alternating current on the local routes. The electrification by alternating current has simple equipment for the power transmission. Therefore, the train which runs both of the electrification systems was developed. It is an express of the 457 series Electric Multiple-Unit. JNR developed it in 1969. When it was used on the electrified route, these 457 series were able to run on every route. The 457 series were used everywhere in Japan as express trains. They are the same in the Tohoku district and the Kyushu district.
Then, the 457 series were used for the local trains. On the railroads of Japan, the classification called express was almost lost. The classification of the JR trains turned the trains into limited express, rapid, and local trains. Moreover, these 457 series received reconstruction of the various bodies. It was reconstruction for the organization of the trains. This train also appeared in Only Yesterday of Hayao Miyazaki's anime.
This train was a typical train of the district route in Japan. Now, a part of this train is saved in the JR museum.

JAPAN JNR The 165 Series Electric Multiple-Unit

The 153 series Electric Multiple-Units were developed for use on a flat route like the main Tokaido line. However, Japan is a country with many mountains and cold districts. The route of such a district was electrified in the 1960s. A new train was developed for the expresses on the route with the new electrification. It succeeded the design of the 153 series trains.
However, the motor was strengthened sharply for the express 165 series Electric Multiple-Units. This was actually operated from March, 1963.
These 165 series Electric Multiple-Units were operated in Nagano Prefecture or in the direction of Niigata at first. There was a JNR track with a steep slope which is known as the famous Usui Peak. Also, Niigata Prefecture is a heavy snowfall area famous for the Snow Country in Yasunari Kawabata's novel. These vehicles had been designed with the cold weather in mind. This express Electric Multiple-Unit was driven as a typical JNR train of Japan. The engine with exclusive use was required for the passage through Usui peak in those days. It is an EF63 type electric locomotive. For connection to the engine, the train needed a special design.
Therefore, JNR remodeled the 165 series and designed the 169 series. The present Usui peak is only used by the Nagano Shinkansen. However, the scenery exceeding the peak brings back impressive memories.