[12] Japanese transportation

Modern transportation facilities* link all parts of Japan and provide the swift, efficient movement of people and goods. Railways are the main form of land transportation. Railway stations are the hubs** of mass-transportation systems, which also include buses, taxis, subways, and the vanishing trolleys.

The first Japanese railway was laid in 1872 between Tokyo and Yokohama. By 1930 a rail network covered the four main islands. Most private lines were nationalized in 1906 and passed to a public corporation, the Japan National Railways (JNR), in 1949. The JNR operates about four fifths of Japan's 17,000 miles (27,000 kilometers) of railway lines, including all long-distance trunk lines. It owns about 90 percent of all rolling stock. The private railways operate commuter lines in the metropolitan areas. Japanese railways use narrow-gauge track – 3 feet 6 inches – and relatively small and light rolling stock. About three fifths of the JNR lines are double-tracked or electrified. Diesel and electric units have replaced coal-burning locomotives.

Postwar population and economic growth has placed an enormous strain on the carrying capacity of Japan's railways. The high-speed, broad-gauge New Tokaido Line went into operation in 1964. Its fastest express trains make the 320-mile (515-kilometer) run from Tokyo to Osaka in a little more than three hours. An extension known as the New Sanyo Line was completed from Osaka to Okayama in 1972. The railways of Honshu are linked to Kyushu and Hokkaido by undersea tunnels and to Shikoku by ferry service. Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kobe, Sapporo, and Yokohama have subways.

Modern highway construction has lagged badly behind the needs of automobile and truck traffic. About 70 percent of the total mileage of roads is paved. By 1990 there were 692,661 miles (1,114,699 kilometers) of national expressways and general roadways for a country that had more than 60 million registered motor vehicles. City traffic is speeded by street widening and by the construction of elevated expressways.

Domestic air service links all major cities. Japan Air Lines (JAL) operates round-the-world service. Tokyo International Airport at Narita, more than 40 miles (60 kilometers) from downtown Tokyo, was completed in 1973. Its opening was delayed until 1978 because of protests by opponents of the facility. The planned addition of two runways at Narita in the 1990s was also prevented by protests from environmentalists. The new Kansai International Airport was scheduled to open at Osaka in 1994. Built at a cost of 14 billion dollars, it was the world's most expensive airport. It is located on an artificial 1,300-acre (526-hectare) island in Osaka Bay. The island itself cost 4.5 billion dollars to construct. The airport's designer was Italian architect Renzo Piano. To ease congestion at the major airports, the government decided to upgrade local airports at Kobe, Nagoya, Yokohama, Kyoto, and other cities to handle the large increase in air traffic.

There were more than 7,000 vessels carrying passengers and cargo in coastal shipping in 1990. For passenger service between cities there are jetfoils*** and air-cushion vessels****. Considering the very large volume of Japanese imports and exports, most products are carried in oceangoing vessels registered to other countries.

Notes: *transportation facilities – средства транспорта

**hub – центр

***jetfoil – судно на подводных крыльях

****air-cushion vessel – судно на воздушной подушке