The 'dark side' of Japanese trains/Shinkansen

[Densha]

Sounds almost like a title of a book, but I'm trying to investigate this matter for some kind of article thingy. I'm still not sure if I'm choosing this subject, but first I need to know a bit more about it before I can decide upon that.

 

It's kinda vague but I'm looking for things as the fact that 'traditional' railway lines are becoming 'victims' of the opening of Shinkansen lines, the non-protesting of the Japanese people against the ugly concrete-viaducts through their rural villages, etc.

 

I hope anyone can suggest me any reading material, preferably in English as my knowledge of Japanese is still very basic.

[bill937ca]

The dark side to me is the suicides, work pressure (can't be five seconds late), crossing accidents, always down crossings and the chikans. You might want to change your title.

 

The only complaints I have heard is from local officials who get socked with a one-third share of the cost.  New Shinkansen lines. Construction of New Shinkansen lines.

Edited May 23, 2014 by bill937ca

[Densha]

How did that not cross my mind?! I guess I was way too focused on Shinkansen politics rather than the more practical things.

[Mudkip Orange]

If you wanted to do a hit piece on Shinkansens you could go after the mini-Shinkansen, since people on the minis end up paying Shinkansen fares for basically no improvement in travel times.

 

You could take the tack of smaller stations, pre-Shinkansen they've got long expresses and locals, post-Shinkansen you got some cheesy DMU and you have to change trains 20 times to get anywhere.

 

But personally I'd go for aesthetics. Conventional lines are a smorgasbord of color and schemes, while the JR Tokai Shinkansens have been carrying the same damn paint scheeme for 50 years.

[Densha]

I'm not trying to do a hit piece, but rather a simple story to public that is familiar with Japan but not really with railways.

I already talked about the need for railways in Japan, and in reverse how Japan was only able to develop to the Japan it is now because of railways. I thought it would be interesting to continue the topic and talk about the downsides.

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Try this book...

 

http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Shinkansen.html?id=KuonGQAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

 

I attended a talk by this chap a year or so ago. Very interesting subject, with the wider social and economic influences from the Shinkansen network - both positive and negative - being many and varied...

[miyakoji]

If you wanted to do a hit piece on Shinkansens you could go after the mini-Shinkansen, since people on the minis end up paying Shinkansen fares for basically no improvement in travel times.

 

You could take the tack of smaller stations, pre-Shinkansen they've got long expresses and locals, post-Shinkansen you got some cheesy DMU and you have to change trains 20 times to get anywhere.

 

But personally I'd go for aesthetics. Conventional lines are a smorgasbord of color and schemes, while the JR Tokai Shinkansens have been carrying the same damn paint scheeme for 50 years.

 

Mudkip, that's a good point about the mini shinkansens, but they must be reasonably satisfied with the results.  They're going ahead with the gauge change train, which seems to me a mini shinkansen without the transfer.

 

Try this book...

 

http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Shinkansen.html?id=KuonGQAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

 

I attended a talk by this chap a year or so ago. Very interesting subject, with the wider social and economic influences from the Shinkansen network - both positive and negative - being many and varied...

 

Claude, I'm sure it was interesting, he posts on the jtrains list sometimes and was a translator on Yoshiyuki Kasai's book about the privatization of JNR.

[cteno4]

Densha,

 

Christopher hood is a very good chap and very knowledgable and accessible in the jtrains yahoo group. Sure he would answer some questions if you contacted him.

 

Also a number of very knowledgable folks on the jtrains group as well that might have some thoughts.

 

Jeff

[ToniBabelony]

If you're going to write AND publish the article, don't be surprised you'll receive hate from people. Writing bad things about another country/culture you have no experience with is usually not very well received.

 

In regard to the 'dark side' of Japanese railways, I once wrote a small thing about the Chiba Express railway on an old blog: http://lasertrain.blogspot.jp/2011/07/keisei-chihara-line.html I want to rewrite the article some day later, since I now know a bit more about this former company. Also, check out the Narita Shinkansen project, or the whole (violent and fatal) Narita Airport development thing in the 1970s. Or Doro-Chiba and the whole transition from JNR to JR with the violent protests that went before that.

[bill937ca]

 

It's kinda vague but I'm looking for things as the fact that 'traditional' railway lines are becoming 'victims' of the opening of Shinkansen lines, the non-protesting of the Japanese people against the ugly concrete-viaducts through their rural villages, etc.

 

 

Japanese society is usually very non-confrontational.  Buildings often only last 15-25 years so the general population may not give these changes a thought. Some of the new railway improvements like the Sotetsu-Tokyu mutual direct operation anticipate time savings of up to 50%.  Why would you regret that change? Especially in a society pressed for free time.

[bikkuri bahn]

Japanese society is usually very non-confrontational.

 

Yes, compared to Western (anglo-saxon) culture and its litiguous traditions, but people are by no means pushovers.  Property rights are very strong in Japan and people will protest if they perceive their rights are being trampled upon.  And it does receive coverage- one TV program I recommend is the TBS program "Uwasa no Tokyo Magazine" which is broadcast every Sunday afternoon- each episode covers a resident protest against some city-run (or privately-financed) redevelopment or construction project- and this is just in the Kanto area.

[Densha]

I should have been more clear, as I now notice I wrote article instead of presentation in the first post. D'oh!

 

If you're going to write AND publish the article, don't be surprised you'll receive hate from people. Writing bad things about another country/culture you have no experience with is usually not very well received.

Considering it's just for my fellow study mates I don't see that much of a problem in the first thing you mention, but I didn't really give thought to the second thing you wrote. Maybe it's indeed a bit too far grasped to tell bad things about a country I've never been to... hmmm... I'm going to give it some thought.

[Guest ___]

From what Mashu has been telling me for the past few years, if you want dark side of shinkansen politics, look no further than Toyama, his home town, where appearently the construction and demolition of a signifigan number of private homes and business resulting in a ballot initive, (or Jpn equiv), where 90% of the town residents voted against the construction of the shinkansen (line slated to open next year), yet the city goverment tossed it aside and went ahead with granting permission for the line.