Japan

Country Details

Japan: Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy, 日本 [Japanese]; Nippon.

Language: Japanese

Currency: Japanese Yen [日本円 Japanese] JPY (¥]

See Wikipedia

National Railway System

UIC code

numeric 42; alpha JP

Timetable

• Printed: summary timetables are available in some editions of the European Rail Timetable.

• Printed Timetables [in Japanese] are issued each month by JR and JTB.

See Train Timetables and Route Finders

The JTB Version also includes private lines.

Information is available at the Man in Seat 61.

Maps

Printed Maps

JTB Mook produce a rail atlas but in Japanese only.

Robert Schwandl Publishing have produced a 3 Volume series Metros and Trams in Japan.

These have short descriptions of the systems [in German and English] with basic, but useful, diagrammatic maps of some complex city/town areas [which can include heavy rail e.g. JR lines] as well as many colour pictures of the rolling stock.

Web-based Maps

Many of the rail operators have diagrammatic maps of their systems but these will often miss out lines of their competitors.

Infrastructure

Gauges

1485 mm (4 feet 8 + 1/2 inches) Standard; JR Shinkansen, some private suburban networks/lines and subways.

1372 mm (4 feet 6 inches) Used mainly for Keiō Line branches and some regional tram systems

1067 mm (3 feet 6 inches) Cape; Used on original passenger and freight lines.

762 mm (2 feet 6 inches) Used on a couple of electrified regional lines.

Electrification

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 on private lines.

Frequency of AC power supply is 50 Hz in eastern Japan and 60 Hz in western Japan.

Rule of the road

Left;

Tourist Lines

Kurobe Gorge Railway.

Oigawa Railway - includes the only section of rack line in Japan.

Kitakyushu Bank Retro-line. Main site is in Japanese with some English links Retro Line.

Shuzenji Romney Railway Leaflet.

Metros

Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kobe, Kyoto, Nagoya, Osaka, Sapporo, Sendai, Tokyo - Toei Subway, Tokyo Metro, Yokohama.

Metros in Japan

Trams/LRT Systems

See Wikipeida List

Trams in Japan

and

Town Tramway Systems in Japan

Recent and Future Changes

Recent Changes

The 1067 mm (3 foot 6 inch) Minamiaso Railway line fully reopened on 15 July 2023, after damage during an earthquake in April 2013 was repaired. Quake-wrecked Kumamoto railway back in service.

Substitute buses are running on the JR West Mine and Sanin Lines from 7 July 2023 after recent rainfall damage.

JR West Substitute Buses

The 1485 mm (4 foot 8 1/2 inch) section of the Hakone Tozan Line, between Hakone-Yumoto and Gora was, suspended in October 2019 due to damage from Typhoon Hagibis. Reopening is expected on 23 July 2023.

Future Changes

The 1067 mm (3 foot 6 inch) gauge Utsunomiya Light Rail line is due to open on 26 August 2023.

Longer Closures

The JR-East Rikuu West Line was "temporarily" suspended 14 May 2022 to facilitate construction of a tunnel for the Shinjo Sakata Road of National Route 47. This will last until at least 2024-2025.

The JR-East Yonesaka Line is partially suspended due to rainstorm damage. Full restoration could take several years while financing is sorted out.

Obscure and Sparse Passenger Services

See PSUL: World Beyond Europe