Synopsis

For generations, rail has been the backbone of transportation in Japan, moving both people and goods. While urban areas continue to thrive with train and subway ridership, the situation in regional rail is markedly different. Faced with competition from automobiles, buses, and airplanes, alongside Japan’s declining and increasingly urbanized population, regional rail lines are grappling with a significant crisis. This edition of Japanology Plus examines the specifics of this challenge and explor