Located in the heart of Tokyo, Shibuya station is the busiest station in the world, used by millions of passengers every day. High urbanization and the emergence of megacities in Japan, such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya, have prompted the development of a highly efficient and potent public transport system, which is of crucial importance in providing large parts of Japan's urban and rural population with mobility.
Public transport is dominated by railways
Railways are the country’s main method of passenger transport, allowing fast and frequent access within and between major cities and metropolitan areas. Shinkansen, or bullet trains, are high-speed trains connecting the country
from the northern island of Hokkaido to the southern parts of Kyushu. With a few exceptions, Shinkansen trains run on entirely separate tracks from other regional trains.
Commuter rail and high-capacity rapid transit link Japan’s suburban areas with its urban centers, allowing individuals to move away from the bustling city centers to more spacious and affordable accommodations in the outskirts. Japan’s metropolitan railways are notorious for their packed trains during rush hour, with
commuters in Tokyo facing the most crowded railway services.
Buses are essential to public transport in rural areas
In highly urbanized areas, buses often play an auxiliary role, serving as a supplement to the well-developed railway network. However, they generally represent the basic public transportation method in rural areas. Public bus services are an essential mobility service, but at the same time
they are mostly unprofitable. Bus companies operating in rural areas struggle to stay afloat, as depopulation and high car ownership rates keep the number of users low.
Attempts to diversify long-distance travel
While the Shinkansen network carries a large share of passenger volume on long-distance trips,
carrying hundreds of millions of passengers annually, airplanes and long-distance (night) buses are offering alternatives for travelers. However, despite the highly competitive prices offered, the aviation industry struggles to compete with the rolling stocks in terms of
passenger volume. Domestic travel via air is especially significant in ultra-long-range trips and for destinations that are not serviced by trains, such as Okinawa.
The success formula of Japan’s public transport
Japan’s public transportation system is one of the most advanced in the world, able to solve the logistical challenge of
transporting billions of passengers in the course of a year. Japan’s railroad network plays a prominent role in short and long-distance travel in urban areas, while buses are an essential transportation method in rural areas. This formula of public transportation in Japan is not going to change in the near future, as building out the railway network to the countryside is expensive and likely unprofitable, while the extensive road network in Japan provides bus operators with the necessary infrastructure to provide their services to inhabitants of rural areas.
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