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.

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;