Transport Policy and Organization in Japan

Abstract

In transport terms, Japan has an enviable reputation for operating effectively an incredibly complex road and rail system. However, relatively little is known about how this is done or about the issues that are facing policy‐makers and shapers in the country. The purpose of this paper, then, is to investigate how land passenger transport is organized in Japan, and to begin to evaluate its effectiveness. This is done by drawing on a literature review and on findings from a scoping study based on a series of semi‐structured in‐depth interviews with key practitioners. Overall, the findings suggest that national and local transport policy in Japan faces a number of key challenges across all modes in the land passenger transport system, in particular relating to the fragmented approach to policy development, implementation, and operation and to the growing role of the car.

Acknowledgements

The authors are indebted to those interviewed over the course of this research. Thanks are also due to the Faculty of Engineering, Loughborough University, for financing the work; and to Lian Zhang for help in organizing contacts and reference sources for the trip.

Notes

1. Based on the exchange rate of JPY¥ and US$ dated 20 November 2006 (http://www.xe.com).