English Language Publications on Japanese Rail

[cteno4]

We have had this come up a few threads over the years on this that have gotten buried so this will be a pinned topic that I’ll keep a list i this post as folks add new posts with additional material so we can keep it in one place.

 

please suggest more!

 

cheers

 

jeff

 

General & Technical Information Websites

 

All About Japanese Trains — http://www.allaboutjapantrains.com/

Good overall of Japanese rail systems.

 

Wikipedia: Rail Transport in Japan — https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Japan

Good general starting point for wiki research

 

Japanese Rail and Transport Review — http://www.ejrcf.or.jp/jrtr/start.html

great set of pdf publications on the history of Japanese rail and many specific rail technologies 

 

Japanese Railway Society —  http://www.japaneserailwaysociety.com/

 

JORSA Japanese Overseas Railway System Association — http://jorsa.or.jp/en/

Some introductory material about Japanese rail and export of Japanese equipment overseas. New bulletins have to be requested to get access to them

 

Technical Regulatory Standards on Japanese Railways — http://www.mlit.go.jp/english/2006/h_railway_bureau/Laws_concerning/14.pdf

Railway Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism

 

Tokyo Rail — http://tekkenweb.sakura.ne.jp/tokyorail/index.html

 

Tokyo Railway Labyrinth — https://tokyorailwaylabyrinth.blogspot.com/

 

---

 

Railway Books

 

Old Man Thunder: Father of the Bullet Train by Bill Hosokawa

History of the creation of the shinkansen about Sogo the JNS president that was the main force in the shinkansen development. (ISBN-13: 978-0965958004)

 

Early Japanese Railways 1853-1914: Engineering Triumphs That Transformed Meiji-era Japan by Dan Free

Excellent book with lots of the politics and economics of early rail development in japan and nice early photos, very dense book! (ISBN-13: 978-4805312902)

 

Shinkansen: From Bullet Train to Symbol of Modern Japan by Christopher Hood

Christopher Hood’s in-depth look at shinkansen system and Japan from his doctoral dissertation. Hard to find and expensive even as a kindle. (ISBN-13: 978-0415320528)

 

Railway Operators in Japan by Makoto Aoki, Yuichiro Kishi, Masafumi Miki, Shuichi Takashima and Kazushige Terada

(ISBN-13: 978-4330089096)

 

Japan’s Colorful Tramways by Colin Brown

Light Rail Transit Association (ISBN-13: 978-0948106477)

 

Japan by Rail: Includes Rail Route Guide and 30 City Guides by Ramsey Zarifeh & Anna Udagawa

Guide to traveling japan by rails with many maps (ISBN-13: 978-1905864751)

 

Electric Railways of Japan (3 volumes + supplement) by L.W. Demery; Forty; De Groote; Higgins

Volume 1; Tokyo & North Japan (ISBN 13: 9780900433955)

Volume 2: Central Japan (ISBN 13: 9780948106026)

Volume 3: Western Japan (ISBN 13: 9780948106200)

Japan by Rail Supplement (ISBN 13: 9780961153809)

 

Metros & Trams in Japan (3 volumes) by Andrew Phipps & Robert Schwandl

Volume 1 — Tokyo Region (ISBN 13: 9783936573473)

Volume 2 — North & Central Japan (ISBN 13: 9783936573527)

Volume 3 — West &South Japan (ISBN 13: 9783936573541)

 

Sayonara Streetcar by Ralph Forty.

Interurbans Special 70, Interurbans, Glendale California 1978. ISBN 0-916374-33-5 (Out of print)

A review of 26 Japanese tramways, all closed by the time the book was published. Plus a list of the then extant city and rural lines. Good text, maps and photos.

 

Far Wheels - A Railroad Safari by Charles S. Small

Simmons Boardman Publishing, New York 1959. No ISBN

Far Wheels II by Charles S. Small

Railhead Publications, Canton Ohio 1986. ISBN 0-912113-31-6

Both books have chapters on Japanese railways. Mentioned are the JNR, various private lines in Hokkaido and Honshu, Kosaka Copper’s 2’6” gauge line, Kinki Nippon Railway, Toby Railway and the Kiso Forest Railway. Other chapters feature narrow and standard gauge railways from around the more obscure parts of world. Mr Small was not only well-travelled, he was an excellent writer with a dry wit and a turn of phrase to match. Both are out of print, but well worth searching for.

 

Rails To The Rising Sun by Charles S. Small

Golden West Books, San Marino California 1965. No IBSN

This book expands on the topics featured in the previous books, being exclusively about railways in Japan. Like his other books, it’s very well written, informative as well as genuinely funny, and well illlustrated with some excellent photos of the less well-known parts of the Japanese railway scene. Again, it’s out of print but it’s a must read for anyone interested in the late Showa era railways.

 

The Privatisation Of Japanese National Railways by Tatsujiro Ishikawa and Mitsuhide Imashiro

The Athlone Press London 1998. ISBN 0-485-11452-6-hb 

A very comprehensive and interesting study of the issues that lead to the breakup and privatisation of JNR in 1987. By no means a dry economic text, it’s worth reading for its insights and analysis. Also a good chronology and maps.

 

Tramways in Japan by Ernst Lassbacher

Verlag Popischil Wien 1987

English text with English and German captions. Features 27 tramway operators, some of which still run today. Good maps, photos and fleet lists.

 

Steam Locomotives Of Japan by Naotaka Hirota

Kodansha International Tokyo 1972. ISBN 0-87011-185-x

An overview of Japanese steam locos from 1872 onwards. It features Mr Hirota’s excellent photos, folio diagrams, D51 general arrangement drawings, and a complete list of all government railway loco types with wheel arrangements and builders. If you’re interested in Japanese steam this is the book to get.

 

The Lure Of Japanese Railways by Naotaka Hirota

The Japan Times Ltd Tokyo 1969.

Another of Mr Hirota’s books which is mainly pictorial. It features everything from Shinkansen to development lines in Hokkaido. The mostly black & white photos are very atmospheric, many focus on people rather than just the trains. Some of them look like still pictures from a Japanese film noir. This is one of my favourites.

 

Japanese National Railways: Its Break-up and Privatization by Yoshiyuki Kasai

Global Oriental 2003. 

ISBN 1-901903-45-1

Language: English. Brand new Book. This is a rare look into the politics and economics of the largest and arguably most dramatic privatization undertaken in Japan. Yoshiuki Kasai, President of JR Central, guides readers through first-hand accounts of the history of JNR's break-up, the political and internal obstacles faced in the reform process, and the major lessons drawn through his experiences.

 

Delayed Departures, Overdue Arrivals: Industrial Familiarism and the Japanese National Railways by Paul Noguchi

University of Hawaii Press 1990

ISBN 0824812883

High Speed in Japan: Shinkansen - The World's Busiest High-Speed Railway by Peter Semmens
Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing, 2000

ISBN 10: 1902336143 / ISBN 13: 9781902336145

Fascinating and detailed history of the development, engineering and operation of the Shinkansen, the high-speed "bullet trains" that are the pride of the Japanese railroad industry. Discusses the history and structure of Japan's railways, the first high-speed projects, the birth of the Tokaido Shinkansen, the Sanyo Extension, the growth of the network, privatization, the Seikan Tunnel and Seto-Ohashi bridge, on-board services, experiments with Maglev, and a consideration of the Shinkansen's significance. Illustrated throughout with photos (black/white and color) as well as numerous charts and diagrams. With chronology. 108 pages with index.

Tokyo in Transit: Japanese Culture on the Rails and Roads by Alisa Freedman
Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2011

ISBN 10: 0804771456  ISBN 13: 9780804771450

Increased use of mass transportation in the early twentieth century enabled men and women of different social classes to interact in ways they had not before. Using a cultural studies approach that combines historical research and literary analysis, author Alisa Freedman investigates fictional, journalistic, and popular culture depictions of how mass transportation changed prewar Tokyo's social fabric and artistic movements, giving rise to gender roles that have come to characterize modern Japan. 

Railways in Greater Tokyo = Les Chemins de fer du "Grand Tokyo"; titre de dos: Chemins de fer Tokyo = Bahnen im by Frank Stenvall, ed.

Published by Frank Stenvalls Forlag (1982)

ISBN 10: 9172660562 ISBN 13: 9789172660564

Beautiful crisp color photos of all the subway lines in and around Tokyo. Taken by famed Japanese railroad photographer Naotaka Hirota, the photos bring the subways to life. Captions are in French, English, and German. With maps. 96 pages.

 

Japan - electrics and diesels : Japan - El- und Diesellok = Japan - locomotives electriques et diesel by Frank Stenvall, Jose Banaudo, Dierk Lawrenz

ISBN 10: 9172660554 / ISBN 13: 9789172660557

Published by Frank Stenvalls Forlag, 1982

Crisp full color photos of Japanese electric and diesel locomotives taken by famed railroad photographer Naotake Hirota. Includes list of JNR locomotive allocations as of August, 1979. Captions in English, French and German. 96 pages.

Japan - steam in colour : Vapeur au Japon = Japan - Dampflok in Farbe by Frank Stenvall, ed.

Published by Franks Stenvalls Forlag (1980), Malmo, 1980

ISBN 10: 9172660503 / ISBN 13: 9789172660502

Full color crisp photos of steam railroads in Japan. With maps and list of preserved steam locomotives by prefecture. Captions are in English, French, and German. 112 pages.

 

Other Publications

 

Electric Railroaders Association, January-December 2015 ERA Headlights issue, ERA Tour of Traction In Japan

92 page magazine style book published as 2015 ERA members magazine entitlement.  No maps, list of tram lines on the inside back cover and numerous color photos.

 

---

 

Japan Railway Websites

 

JR Companies

JR Hokkaido — http://www2.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/index.html

JR Tokai — http://english.jr-central.co.jp/index.html

JR Shikoku — http://www.jr-shikoku.co.jp/global/en/

JR East — http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/index.html

JR West — http://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/

JR Kyushu — http://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/index.html

 

Private Railway Companies (East Japan) Websites

Tokyu Corporation — http://www.tokyu.co.jp/global/index.html

Tobu Railway Corporation — http://www.tobu.co.jp/foreign/

Keikyu Corporation — http://www.keikyu.co.jp/index.html

Odakyu Electric Railway — http://www.odakyu.jp/english/index.html

Keisei Electric Railway — https://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/us/index.php

Keio Company —https://www.keio.co.jp/english/

Seibu Railway — https://www.seiburailway.jp/railways/tourist/english/

Tokyo Metro — https://www.tokyometro.jp/en/

Keisei Electric Railway -- http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/us/index.php

 

Kansai Private Railways

Kintetsu Railway Co. — https://www.kintetsu.co.jp/foreign/english/

Hankyu Railway — http://www.hankyu.co.jp/global/en/

Keihan Electric Railway — https://www.keihan.co.jp/travel/en/

Nankai Electric Railway — https://www.howto-osaka.com/en/top.html

Hanshin Electric Railway — https://www.hanshin.co.jp/global/en/

Meitetsu (Nagoya Railway) — https://www.meitetsu.co.jp/eng/

Enoshima Electric Railway — https://www.enoden.co.jp/en/

Hakone-Tozan Co. —https://www.hakone-tozan.co.jp/en/

Izukyu Railway — http://www.izukyu.jp/foreign_language/en/

Toei Subway (& Toden Arakawa tram) — https://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/eng/

 

Misc Web Sites

 

Aizu and Tohoku subjects, Showa-era freight cars, and other random things like JGR/JNR administrative structure. https://1960sjnr.neocities.org/index.html

Tokyo Train Photos —  http://funini.com/train/tokyo/index.html.en

Osaka Train Photos —  http://funini.com/train/kansai/index.html.en

Kyushu Train Photos —  http://funini.com/train/kyushu/index.html.en

Shinkansen Train Photos —  http://funini.com/train/shinkansen/index.html.en

 

---

 

Japanese Buildings and Scenery Books

 

Pet Architecture Guide Book Vol 2 by Atelier Bow-Wow

World Photo Press,Japan (August 31, 2002) IBSN-13: 978-4846523275

“Pet Architecture” features small buildings in Tokyo, many of which adjoin the railway or are nearby. The book has photos as well as dimensioned drawings, so it’s a very useful resource for modelling.

 

Tokyo Houses by Jeremie Souteyrat

Seigensha (January 5, 2017) ISBN-13: 978-4861526060

“Tokyo Houses” is purely pictorial, but has some lovely photos of typical street scenes, full of details and inspiration.

[bill937ca]

East Japan Major Private Railways

 

Keisei Electric Railway  https://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/us/index.php

Keio Company   https://www.keio.co.jp/english/

Seibu Railway https://www.seiburailway.jp/railways/tourist/english/

Tokyo Metro https://www.tokyometro.jp/en/

 

Kansai Major Private Railways

 

Kintetsu Railway Co.  https://www.kintetsu.co.jp/foreign/english/

Hankyu Railway  http://www.hankyu.co.jp/global/en/

Keihan Electric Railway  https://www.keihan.co.jp/travel/en/

Nankai Electric Railway  https://www.howto-osaka.com/en/top.html

Hanshin Electric Railway https://www.hanshin.co.jp/global/en/

 

Meitetsu (Nagoya Railway)    https://www.meitetsu.co.jp/eng/

 

Enoshima Electric Railway  https://www.enoden.co.jp/en/

Hakone-Tozan Co.   https://www.hakone-tozan.co.jp/en/

Izukyu Railway http://www.izukyu.jp/foreign_language/en/

[bill937ca]

Toei Subway (& Toden Arakawa tram)  https://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/eng/

 

Websites:

 

Tokyo Rail  http://tekkenweb.sakura.ne.jp/tokyorail/index.html

 

Tokyo Railway Labyrinth https://tokyorailwaylabyrinth.blogspot.com/

Edited May 11, 2019 by bill937ca

[bill937ca]

Technical Regulatory Standards on Japanese Railways

Railway Bureau

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism

http://www.mlit.go.jp/english/2006/h_railway_bureau/Laws_concerning/14.pdf

[cteno4]

Thanks bill

 

jeff

[ben_issacs]

Folks,

'Electric Railways of Japan'., 3 A5 booklets, published several years ago by the Light Rail Transit Assoc. in Britain, Authors, Demery, Forty, DeGroote and Higgins.

These cover East  Japan, Central Japan and West Japan.

Dated by now, but useful with their diagrammatic maps of the systems.

Also, 'Japan by Rail' a supplement to the above volumes, by the same authors, 1985, ISBN 0-9611538-0-6

A lot of useful info. about the translation of Japanese characters for various types of trains, etc, details of preserved electric rail vehicles and much more.

This volume was published by 'The Map Factory', Box 3484, Los Angeles, CA 90078-3484 .

May no longer exists.

All the above could be hard to get now-a-days.

Regards, 

Bill, 

Melbourne.

 

[cteno4]

Thanks bill, they are oop but still available thru used book sellers although not cheap. Nice books I have v 1

 

jeff

[bill937ca]

Electric Railroaders Association, January-December 2015 ERA Headlights issue, ERA Tour of Traction In Japan.

 

92 page magazine style book published as 2015 ERA members magazine entitlement.  No maps, list of tram lines on the inside back cover and numerous color photos.

[marknewton]

Far Wheels - A Railroad Safari by Charles S. Small. Simmons Boardman Publishing, New York 1959. No ISBN.

 

 

Far Wheels II by Charles S. Small. Railhead Publications, Canton Ohio 1986. ISBN 0-912113-31-6

 

 

Both books have chapters on Japanese railways. Mentioned are the JNR, various private lines in Hokkaido and Honshu, Kosaka Copper’s 2’6” gauge line, Kinki Nippon Railway, Toby Railway and the Kiso Forest Railway. Other chapters feature narrow and standard gauge railways from around the more obscure parts of world. Mr Small was not only well-travelled, he was an excellent writer with a dry wit and a turn of phrase to match. Both are out of print, but well worth searching for.

 

Rails To The Rising Sun by Charles S. Small. Golden West Books, San Marino California 1965. LoC card No. 66-21340

 

 

 

This book expands on the topics featured in the previous books, being exclusively about railways in Japan. Like his other books, it’s very well written, informative as well as genuinely funny, and well illlustrated with some excellent photos of the less well-known parts of the Japanese railway scene. Again, it’s out of print but it’s a must read for anyone interested in the late Showa era railways.

 

Sayonara Streetcar by Ralph Forty. Interurbans Special 70, Interurbans, Glendale California 1978. ISBN 0-916374-33-5 (Out of print)

 

 

 

A review of 26 Japanese tramways, all closed by the time the book was published. Plus a list of the then extant city and rural lines. Good text, maps and photos.

 

More to follow,

 

Mark.

 

 

 

[cteno4]

Thanks mark, May have to pick up some of those!

 

jeff

[marknewton]

 

The Privatisation Of Japanese National Railways by Tatsujiro Ishikawa and Mitsuhide Imashiro. The Athlone Press London 1998. ISBN 0-485-11452-6-hb 

 

A very comprehensive and interesting study of the issues that lead to the breakup and privatisation of JNR in 1987. By no means a dry economic text, it’s worth reading for its insights and analysis. Also a good chronology and maps.

 

 

Tramways in Japan by Ernst Lassbacher. Verlag Popischil Wien 1987.

 

English text with English and German captions. Features 27 tramway operators, some of which still run today. Good maps, photos and fleet lists.

 

  

 

Steam Locomotives Of Japan, by Naotaka Hirota. Kodansha International Tokyo 1972. ISBN 0-87011-185-x

 

An overview of Japanese steam locos from 1872 onwards. It features Mr Hirota’s excellent photos, folio diagrams, D51 general arrangement drawings, and a complete list of all government railway loco types with wheel arrangements and builders. If you’re interested in Japanese steam this is the book to get.

 

 

The Lure Of Japanese Railways by Naotaka Hirota. The Japan Times Ltd Tokyo 1969.

 

Another of Mr Hirota’s books which is mainly pictorial. It features everything from Shinkansen to development lines in Hokkaido. The mostly black & white photos are very atmospheric, many focus on people rather than just the trains. Some of them look like still pictures from a Japanese film noir. This is one of my favourites.

 

 

 

More to follow,

 

Mark.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 17, 2019 by marknewton

[cteno4]

Thanks mark, you have some library. I got a copy of the lure of Japanese rr as I liked your film noir description as well as people in the pictures 

 

jeff

[marknewton]

I think you’ll enjoy that book Jeff. There’s some stunning photos in it.

 

As for my library, it’s probably time I got some new bookshelves:

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[bill937ca]

Another website   http://funini.com/

 

Tokyo  http://funini.com/train/tokyo/index.html.en

 

Osaka http://funini.com/train/kansai/index.html.en

 

Kyushu http://funini.com/train/kyushu/index.html.en

 

Shinkansen http://funini.com/train/shinkansen/index.html.en

 

 

[miyakoji]

This topic really speaks to my heart :).  Great idea to keep this pinned Jeff.  My two additions:

• Japanese National Railways: Its Break-up and Privatization by Yoshiyuki Kasai.  Global Oriental 2003.  ISBN 1-901903-45-1

• Delayed Departures, Overdue Arrivals: Industrial Familiarism and the Japanese National Railways by Paul Noguchi.  University of Hawaii Press 1990.  ISBN 0824812883

[Pashina12]

Would it be out of place to self-plug my own website? It's still small but it's growing, about Aizu and Tohoku subjects, Showa-era freight cars, and other random things like JGR/JNR administrative structure, and I'm working on some Karafuto stuff... https://1960sjnr.neocities.org/index.html

[marknewton]

Two books I have that are very interesting and informative, although neither of them are rail publications. “Pet Architecture” features small buildings in Tokyo, many of which adjoin the railway or are nearby. The book has photos as well as dimensioned drawings, so it’s a very useful resource for modelling. “Tokyo Houses” is purely pictorial, but has some lovely photos of typical street scenes, full of details and inspiration.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

 

 

 

 

 

[cteno4]

Oooh both of those look nice especially the pet architecture book! Ouch as it’s oop and not cheap but very tempting! Love the interesting buildings in the Tokyo houses, would be nice to model a few wild ones to pop in here and there!

 

jeff

[Gilles]

A great list.

Here are some books that are not included.
 

Semmens, Peter
High Speed in Japan: Shinkansen - The World's Busiest High-Speed Railway
Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing, 2000

 

Freedman, Alisa
Tokyo in Transit: Japanese Culture on the Rails and Roads
Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2011

 

Stenvall, Frank ed.
Railways in Greater Tokyo = Les Chemins de fer du "Grand Tokyo"; titre de dos: Chemins de fer Tokyo = Bahnen im Grossraum Tokyo.
Malmo: Frank Stenvalls Forlag, 1982

 

Stenvall, Frank ed.
Japan - electrics and diesels : Japan - El- und Diesellok = Japan - locomotives electriques et diesel
Malmo: Frank Stenvalls Forlag, 1982

 

Stenvall, Frank ed.
Japan - steam in colour : Vapeur au Japon = Japan - Dampflok in Farbe
Malmo: Frank Stenvalls Forlag, 1980

Edited February 12 by Gilles
Typo corrected

[cteno4]

Thanks Gilles! Weird I thought I had added those before! All updated along with one from Bill I missed.

 

jeff

[Gilles]

The list is lovely, a great resource. I hope to be in Tokyo not long after we are able to travel to Japan again. This will be celebration of the publication of my new book (shameless plug) Tokyo Stroll.

I'll check some major bookshops, railroad modeling, and rail fan shops while there. I'll post if I find anything else.

Here is one title I missed, it is bilingual and includes a region 2 DVD.

新幹線の誕生ー"夢の超特急"0系新幹線
by 鉄道博物館学芸部企画・構成・著作 ; レイル・マガジン編
鉄道博物館, [2010]

Translation:
Birth of the Shinkansen: "Dream Super Express"
by Railway Museum, Faculty of Arts, Planning, Composition, and Writing; Rail Magazine Edition

Railway Museum, [2010]