Abstract
This book comprehends all aspects of transport in Japan from ancient times to the present and its approach is extremely unique in studies of transport history research. The studies of transportation have been considerably subdivided and specialised by periods and transportation fields. By ranging over literatures concerning various specialised fields of Japanese transport histories such as ports and shipping, canals, roads, railroads, civil aviation and urban planning, and by visiting historical sites, museums and galleries, Black applies the theory of the new institutional economics to identify the organisations and institutions – the civic and civil spheres of society – governing transportation and its historical development in Japan.
Black firstly reviews the regime change in Japan, and thereafter takes the same chronological approach to each chapter. He describes in detail the management of the port area, especially Osaka, and the involvement of the Imperial Court, merchants, temples and the Shogunate. Next, he compares Japan's rivers and canals with those of the United Kingdom to show that canal construction did not progress very far in Japan. Rather, the focus of river infrastructure development in Japan was flood control measures and the distribution of irrigation water for paddy fields. The Edo shogunate (1603–1867) built the foundation of Tokyo through large-scale reclamation and canal construction.
Roads in Japan have been controlled by the barrier system established by the authorities of the time. The highway network connected by fresh horse relays was developed in succession to the ancient roads, and was extended to Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu during the Edo period. The famous Ukiyo-e artist Hiroshige Utagawa's “Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido” is the best depiction of one of the arterial highways. In the modern era, Japanese government planned the construction of motorways on the model of the German Autobahn in 1943 but was never materialied. After World War II, GHQ witnessed unpaved roads not befitting the motor age and the United States influenced postwar development of motorways. But Black does not mention motorisation in Japan because he probably regards the failure of global emission controls as a critical problem.
Railroads were developed through technological transfer from the West, and the networks were expanded not only by the national government but also by private companies. Private railroad companies in Shikoku and Kansai connected cities to resorts or attractions. In Tokyo, private railroad companies played central roles in housing developments. During World War II, railroads were targeted for bombing, and due to the shortage of iron and other commodities, railroad operations were reduced or eliminated. After the war, Japan National Railways (JNR) started as a public corporation by the order of GHQ. However, the integration of infrastructure and operations was the cause of JNR's failure despite of success of Shinkansen systems. Black suggests that the ownership and maintenance business of the infrastructure should be separated from the operation of the railroad. Such measures are already being taken by some municipalities, but the result might make it more difficult to operate unprofitable railroads due to the heavy municipal burden to deal with ageing infrastructure.
Aviation was also cultivated through the technological transfer from Europe and the United States, but the Japanese Army and Navy had a strong influence on aviation policies through the era of militarism. Real commercial civil aviation in Japan began with the end of military occupation. While Black provides an overview of the resurgence of commercial airlines and the Japanese version of aviation deregulation, what is most interesting here is the focus on Airports Development Act of 1956. The struggle for Narita Airport that has continued since the 1960s, triggered by the compulsory land expropriation, has probably influenced the plannings of airport constructions. The newly constructed Kansai International Airport and Kobe Airport have taken the form of sea-float airports without land confiscation.
Urban planning in modern Japan has been conducted through land readjustment, including the forced conversion of land rights by the national or municipal government. Black examines the history of transit-oriented development in Japan, focusing on the creation of new towns in the suburbs of Tokyo connected by railroads, and concludes with a discussion of urban planning and smart city planning in Japan in the face of ageing and declining populations. He then introduces the Japanese government's Society 5.0 initiative and argues that Japan will move away from centralised planning and adopt “agile governance”.
Black does not fully describe the strongly centralised militaristic states in modern era, even though remnants of militarism remain as military transportation networks through the presence of USA military bases stationed in Japan, including railroad siding lines connecting seaports and bases and military air traffic control that also affects civil aviation. Nor does he discuss “the Remodeling Japanese archipelago” or the competition between Shinkansen and airlines for passengers. This is likely due to the structure of the chapters, which deals with the transportation sector separately. Nevertheless, Black presents an incisive analysis of the issues surrounding contemporary Japanese transportation and infrastructure based on his extensive knowledge of Japanese history and its transportation history and examines the state of mobility in an ageing Japan. As such, this book will serve as a guide not only for readers interested in transportation history in Japan, but also for all those interested in the smart cities of the future.
