A Personal View of Japanese Train Systems

by Nina Rohlich, MSTM '09
Mineta Transportation Institute, San Jose, California

The time I spent living in some of the big cities in Japan—Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo—and experiencing the public transit system there are what originally got me interested in learning more about transportation issues here in the U.S. Ultimately, that interest led to my pursuit of a career and degree in the field.

What did I like most about the train systems in Japan?

After graduating from college, I joined the workforce in Japan and became one of millions of public transit daily commuters. What impressed me the most was the quality of the public transit systems, from the timeliness and frequency of the trains to the efficiency and clarity of the station designs, along with the comfort, cleanliness, and safety of the rail system. The information available to passengers both within train cars and at stations is extremely detailed and helpful. I especially liked how easy it was to navigate the complex subway systems. The signs clearly displayed where, when, and how to transfer between lines.

For example, the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line diagram showed the name of each stop on the line, including the number of minutes between other stations, the lines for transfers (represented by different colored circles), as well as the station number for each station (T-18).

Tozai Line Diagram:

Some diagrams inform which train car in to board so the riders are closest to their desired exits for transferring to another line or going to a specific location at a station. This type of information assists passengers to use their time efficiently, and it makes a smoother commute. One of the most useful features on the Yamanote Line train cars in Tokyo is the display screen in each car above the doors. Here's a video link on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGaiPKj9j0w. Notice it displays the entire loop line with the time it takes to get to each station (both English and Japanese), as well as transfer information for upcoming stops, any delays or incidents for the different lines, even which side the doors will open at the next stop. Given the number of people who use the system, every little bit of information helps passengers reach their destinations faster.

How was the rush hour commute?

One of my first memories of the morning commute in Tokyo was waiting for the train at Kasai Station, closest to my apartment on the Tozai Line. I was waiting on the platform for the train only to find that it was packed when it arrived. I saw on the display sign that there was another train coming in two minutes, so I decided to wait rather than squeeze my way onto the train with the other commuters. I wondered why the other passengers didn’t just wait for the next train because this one was so packed. Two minutes later, the next train arrived even more crowded than the previous one. I waited for the next train, and two minutes later it was the same thing.

It turned out that the trains on the Tozai Line run over capacity during rush hour. I learned that it’s best just to squeeze your way in even when you see only a few inches of floor space. The Tozai Line is one of the most crowded lines in Tokyo because it runs through the center of the city and connects directly to almost every other subway line in the Metro system. Interestingly enough, my station did not have the legendary station attendants who help to cram passengers on the train.

Did I ride the bullet train?

It seems odd to talk about Japan and transportation without mentioning the Shinkansen bullet trains. Below are a couple of pictures and notes about my most recent visit to Japan in December 2007. As a Christmas gift, I received tickets to ride on the newest Shinkansen train, the N700 Series. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N700_Series_Shinkansen. Again, I was amazed by the number of trips offered daily, the comfort, and the speed— it’s truly incredible.

Shinkansen today:

In addition to experiencing the newest that Japan high-speed rail has to offer, I took a trip to the Japan Railway Museum http://www.railway-museum.jp/en/index.html for a historical perspective and saw one of the first Shinkansen models from 1964. Amazing, isn’t it? That represents 45 years of high-speed rail!

Old Shinkansen at the Museum:

What do I miss most?

With the exception of the over-crowded trains, my experiences commuting in Japan were very positive. I miss the fast, reliable, clean, safe, and overall high-quality experience that the public transit systems in Japan offer. While it’s important to strive for similar service for public transit systems in the U.S., I know from my MTI classes that a number of factors make it challenging and even illogical to have comparable (not to mention profitable) systems here. As discussed in the Transportation Planning and Development class, there are historical, cultural, political, geographical, and economic reasons that make it difficult to create and maintain such systems in the United States. Additionally, the Transportation Funding and Finance class illustrated to a further degree the challenges of paying for public transportation.

Regardless, it’s important to learn from other transit systems around the world, to gather ideas and inspiration, and to see how we can make aspects of those public transportation systems work here in the U.S. y