Japan
Country Details
Japan: Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy, 日本 [Japanese]; Nippon.
Language: Japanese
Currency: Japanese Yen [日本円 Japanese] JPY (¥]
See Wikipedia
National Railway System
UIC code
numeric 42; alpha JP
Timetable
- Printed: summary timetables are available in some editions of the European Rail Timetable.
- Printed Timetables [in Japanese] are issued each month by JR and JTB.
See Train Timetables and Route Finders
The JTB Version also includes private lines.
Information is available at the Man in Seat 61.
Maps
Printed Maps
Web-based Maps
Infrastructure
Gauges
1485 mm (4 feet 8 + 1/2 inches) Standard; JR Shinkansen, some private suburban networks/lines and subways.
1372 mm (4 feet 6 inches) Used mainly for Keiō Line branches and some regional tram systems
1067 mm (3 feet 6 inches) Cape; Used on original passenger and freight lines.
762 mm (2 feet 6 inches) Used on a couple of electrified regional lines.
Electrification
Electrification systems used by the JR Group are 1,500 V DC and 20 kV AC for conventional lines, and 25 kV AC for Shinkansen.
Electrification with 600 V DC and 750 V DC are also seen on private lines.
Frequency of AC power supply is 50 Hz in eastern Japan and 60 Hz in western Japan.
Rule of the road
Left;
Tourist Lines
Oigawa Railway - includes the only section of rack line in Japan.
Kitakyushu Bank Retro-line. Main site is in Japanese with some English links Retro Line.
Shuzenji Romney Railway Leaflet.
Metros
Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kobe, Kyoto, Nagoya, Osaka, Sapporo, Sendai, Tokyo - Toei Subway, Tokyo Metro, Yokohama.
Trams/LRT Systems
See Wikipeida List
and
Recent and Future Changes
Recent Changes
The 1067 mm (3 foot 6 inch) Minamiaso Railway line fully reopened on 15 July 2023, after damage during an earthquake in April 2013 was repaired. Quake-wrecked Kumamoto railway back in service.
The 1485 mm (4 foot 8 1/2 inch) section of the Hakone Tozan Line, between Hakone-Yumoto and Gora was, suspended in October 2019 due to damage from Typhoon Hagibis. Reopening is expected on 23 July 2023.
Future Changes
The 1067 mm (3 foot 6 inch) gauge Utsunomiya Light Rail line is due to open on 26 August 2023.
