Public transportation is dominated by railways
Railways are the country’s main method of passenger transport, allowing fast and frequent access within and between major cities and metropolitan areas. Shinkansen, or bullet trains, are high-speed trains connecting the country from the northern island of Hokkaido to the southern parts of Kyushu. With few exceptions, Shinkansen trains run on entirely separate lane tracks from other regional trains.Commuter rail and high-capacity rapid transit link Japan’s suburban areas with its urban centers, allowing individuals to move away from the bustling city centers to more spacious and affordable accommodations in the outskirts. Japan’s metropolitan railways are notorious for their packed trains during rush hour, with commuters in Tokyo facing the most crowded railway lines.
Other means of public transportation
Besides trains, other modes of public transportation commonly used in Japan include automobiles, aircraft, and ferries. Public buses usually serve as basic public transportation in rural areas. In urban areas, bus lines supplement the rail network. Long-distance bus services and airport shuttles complement the railway mobility services. Similar to other segments of the mobility sector, the bus industry segment struggles with the consequences of Japan’s demographic development, especially in rural areas, which are prone to depopulation.The COVID-19 pandemic perturbed all means of public transportation, but airlines and airport operators took a comparatively heavy blow regarding passenger transportation, with figures further declining in 2021, but somewhat recovering in 2022.
The archipelago naturally also makes use of maritime transportation. Ferries connect the four main islands and link smaller islands with the country’s main harbors. Nonetheless, passenger ferries carry only a minuscule fraction of total traffic.