Japanese National Railways
Encyclopedia
, abbreviated or "JNR", was the national railway network of Japan
from 1949 to 1987.
The term Kokuyū Tetsudō "state-owned railway" originally referred to a network of railway lines operated by nationalized
companies under the control of the Railway Institute following the nationalization in 1906 and 1907
. Later, the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications took over control of the network. The ministries used the name Japanese Government Railways
(JGR) to refer their network in English. During World War II
, many JGR lines were dismantled to supply steel for the war effort.
In 1949, JGR was reorganized into a state-owned public corporation
by a directive of the U.S. General HQ
in Tokyo
. The new corporation enjoyed many successes, including the 1964 inauguration of high-speed Shinkansen
service. However, the network's rapid expansion also pulled it further and further into debt as it took out huge loans to fund new capital projects.
By 1987, JNR's debt was over ¥27 trillion ($280 billion at 2009 exchange rates) and the company was spending ¥147 for every ¥100 earned. That year, the network was privatized
by an act of the Diet of Japan
, and divided into several companies collectively called the Japan Railways Group (JR Group). Contemporary offspring of JNR include the East Japan Railway Company
, West Japan Railway Company
, and Central Japan Railway Company
.
, the 47th prefecture, returned to the Japanese administration in 1972 but no JNR line existed in Okinawa). This figure expanded to 21421.1 km (13,310.5 mi) in 1981 (excluding Shinkansen), but later reduced to 19633.6 km (12,199.8 mi) as of March 31st, 1987, the last day of JNR.
JNR operated both passenger and freight services.
Shinkansen
, the world-first high-speed railway was debuted by JNR in 1964. By the end of JNR in 1987, four lines were constructed:
Tōkaidō Shinkansen: 515.4 km (320.3 mi), completed in 1964
Sanyō Shinkansen
: 553.7 km (344.1 mi), completed in 1975
Tōhoku Shinkansen
: 492.9 km (306.3 mi), as of 1987
Jōetsu Shinkansen
: 269.5 km (167.5 mi), completed in 1982
JNR operated bus lines as feeders, supplements or substitutions of railways. Unlike railway operation, JNR Bus was not superior to other local bus operators. The JR Bus
companies are the successors of the bus operation of JNR.
Kanmon Ferry (discontinued in 1964): Shimonoseki Station
(Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi
) – Mojikō Station
(Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka
)
Miyajima Ferry
: Miyajimaguchi Station
(Ōno, Hiroshima
) – Miyajima Station (Miyajima, Hiroshima
)
Nihori Ferry (discontinued in 1982): Nigata Station
(Kure, Hiroshima
) – Horie Station
(Matsuyama, Ehime
)
Ōshima Ferry (discontinued in 1976): Ōbatake Station (Yanai, Yamaguchi
) – Komatsukō Station (Suō-Ōshima, Yamaguchi
)
Seikan Ferry: Aomori Station
(Aomori, Aomori
) – Hakodate Station
(Hakodate, Hokkaidō
)
Ukō Ferry: Uno Station (Tamano, Okayama
) – Takamatsu Station
(Takamatsu, Kagawa
)
Out of three routes assigned to JR companies in 1987, only the Miyajima Ferry remains active as of 2010.
Sakuragichō train fire
: A train fire at Sakuragichō Station
in Yokohama
on April 24, 1951 killed 106.
Toya Maru
disaster: A Seikan ferryboat sank off Hakodate
killing 1,155 in a typhoon storm on September 26, 1954.
Shiun Maru disaster: An Ukō ferryboat collided with a fellow boat in a dense fog and sank killing 166 on May 11, 1955.
Mikawashima rail crash
: A three-train collision near Mikawashima Station
in Tokyo on May 3, 1962 killed 160.
Yokohama rail crash
: A three-train collision near Tsurumi Station
in Yokohama on November 9, 1963 killed 161.
by the communists
, doubts have been raised as to the validity of this conclusion.
Shimoyama incident
: The dismembered body of JNR President Sadanori Shimoyama was found on a railway track on July 5, 1949. (The possibility of non-criminal suicide has not been ruled out.)
Mitaka incident
: A train running without crew crashed into passengers and killed six people on July 15, 1949.
Matsukawa incident
: A train was derailed because of destroyed track and three crew were killed on August 17, 1949.
In later years, JNR was a target of radical leftists
. On October 21, 1968, groups of extremist students celebrating "International Antiwar Day" occupied and vandalized Shinjuku Station
in Tokyo. They criticized JNR's collaboration in the Vietnam War
by operating freight trains carrying jet fuel
for U.S. military use. On November 29, 1985, militant
s supporting a radical sect of JNR's labor union objecting to the privatization of JNR damaged signal cables at 33 points around Tokyo and Osaka to halt thousands of commuter trains and then set fire to Asakusabashi Station
in Tokyo.
As such, the relationship with labor unions was always a difficult problem for JNR. Since public workers were prohibited to strike
, they carried out "work-to-rule protests" that caused trains to be delayed. On March 13, 1973, train delays caused by such protests resulted in a riot
of angered passengers at Ageo Station
in Saitama Prefecture (Ageo incident). From November 26, 1975 to December 3, 1975, major labor unions of JNR conducted an eight-day-long illegal "strike for the right to strike", which resulted in a total defeat of the unions.
was a symbol of JNR as it is the English equivalent of Japanese Tsubame
, the name of a deluxe train of JNR in 1950s.
Kokutetsu Swallows are the predecessors of present-day Tokyo Yakult Swallows
.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
from 1949 to 1987.
History
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
companies under the control of the Railway Institute following the nationalization in 1906 and 1907
Railway Nationalization Act
The brought many of Japan's private railway lines under national control. The Diet of Japan promulgated the Act on March 31, 1906. The Act was repealed by Article 110 of the Japan National Railway Reform Act of 1988, which formed the modern Japan Railways Group....
. Later, the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications took over control of the network. The ministries used the name Japanese Government Railways
Japanese Government Railways
The Japanese Government Railways was the national railway system directly operated by the central government of Japan until 1949. It is a predecessor of Japanese National Railways and the Japan Railways Group.- Name :...
(JGR) to refer their network in English. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, many JGR lines were dismantled to supply steel for the war effort.
In 1949, JGR was reorganized into a state-owned public corporation
Japanese public corporations
Although the Japanese economy is largely based on private enterprise, it does have a number of government-owned corporations, which are more extensive and, in some cases, different in function from what exists in the United States.- History :...
by a directive of the U.S. General HQ
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the Occupation of Japan following World War II...
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. The new corporation enjoyed many successes, including the 1964 inauguration of high-speed Shinkansen
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
service. However, the network's rapid expansion also pulled it further and further into debt as it took out huge loans to fund new capital projects.
By 1987, JNR's debt was over ¥27 trillion ($280 billion at 2009 exchange rates) and the company was spending ¥147 for every ¥100 earned. That year, the network was privatized
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
by an act of the Diet of Japan
Diet of Japan
The is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...
, and divided into several companies collectively called the Japan Railways Group (JR Group). Contemporary offspring of JNR include the East Japan Railway Company
East Japan Railway Company
is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....
, West Japan Railway Company
West Japan Railway Company
, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group companies and operates in western Honshū. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka.-History:...
, and Central Japan Railway Company
Central Japan Railway Company
The is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as . Its headquarters are located in the JR Central Towers in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.The company's operational hub is Nagoya Station...
.
Timeline
- June 12, 1872: Provisional opening of TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
–YokohamaYokohamais the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
railway (Shinagawa StationShinagawa Stationis the first major station south ofTokyo Station and is a major interchange for trains operated by JR East, JR Central, and Keikyu. The Tōkaidō Shinkansen and other trains to the Miura Peninsula, Izu Peninsula and the Tōkai region pass through here...
–Yokohama StationSakuragicho Station, is a railway station located in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan.-Lines:Sakuragichō Station is served by the following lines.*East Japan Railway Company**Keihin-Tōhoku Line / Negishi Line*Yokohama Municipal Subway**Blue Line -Station layout:...
) - October 1, 1907: Completion of nationalization of 17 private railways under 1906 Railway Nationalization ActRailway Nationalization ActThe brought many of Japan's private railway lines under national control. The Diet of Japan promulgated the Act on March 31, 1906. The Act was repealed by Article 110 of the Japan National Railway Reform Act of 1988, which formed the modern Japan Railways Group....
- June 1, 1949: Japanese National Railways organized
- October 1, 1964: Inauguration of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen high-speed line
- April 1, 1987: Privatization of JNR, establishment of seven JR companies
- October 22, 1998: JNR Settlement CorporationJNR Settlement Corporationwas a corporation formed to handle long-term debts and redundancies following the privatization and breakup of Japanese National Railways on April 1, 1987....
was officially dissolved when all its debt was transferred to the Japan Railway Construction Public CorporationJapan Railway Construction Public Corporationwas a public corporation responsible for the construction of railway lines in Japan.The JRCC was established in 1964 as the successor to JNR's railway line construction division. Kakuei Tanaka, then an influential member of the House of Representatives, was said to have been involved in its creation...
. By this time the debt has risen to ¥30 trillion ($310 billion in 2009 dollars). The debt was later incorporated into the national government's general debt.
Railways
As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated 19756.8 km (12,276.3 mi) of narrow gauge railways in all 46 prefectures of Japan (OkinawaOkinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
, the 47th prefecture, returned to the Japanese administration in 1972 but no JNR line existed in Okinawa). This figure expanded to 21421.1 km (13,310.5 mi) in 1981 (excluding Shinkansen), but later reduced to 19633.6 km (12,199.8 mi) as of March 31st, 1987, the last day of JNR.
JNR operated both passenger and freight services.
Shinkansen
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
, the world-first high-speed railway was debuted by JNR in 1964. By the end of JNR in 1987, four lines were constructed:
Tōkaidō Shinkansen: 515.4 km (320.3 mi), completed in 1964
Sanyō Shinkansen
Sanyō Shinkansen
The is a line of the Japanese Shinkansen high-speed rail network, connecting Shin-Ōsaka in Osaka with Hakata Station in Fukuoka, the two largest cities in western Japan...
: 553.7 km (344.1 mi), completed in 1975
Tōhoku Shinkansen
Tohoku Shinkansen
The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line, connecting Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture for a total length of 674 km, Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main island Honshu. It has two spur lines, Yamagata...
: 492.9 km (306.3 mi), as of 1987
Jōetsu Shinkansen
Joetsu Shinkansen
The is a high-speed railway line connecting Tokyo and Niigata, Japan, via the Tōhoku Shinkansen, operated by the East Japan Railway Company .-History:The program was initiated in 1971 by Niigata-born prime minister Tanaka Kakuei...
: 269.5 km (167.5 mi), completed in 1982
Buses
JR Bus
JR Bus collectively refers to the bus operations of Japan Railways Group companies in Japan. JR Bus is operated by eight regional companies, each owned by a JR railway company...
companies are the successors of the bus operation of JNR.
Ships
JNR operated ferries to connect railway networks separated by sea or to meet other local demands:Kanmon Ferry (discontinued in 1964): Shimonoseki Station
Shimonoseki Station
is a railway station on the San'yō Main Line, operated by West Japan Railway Company in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan. Kyushu Railway Company and Japan Freight Railway Company also use this station....
(Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi
Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi
is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is at the southwestern tip of Honshū, facing the Tsushima Strait and also Kitakyushu across the Kanmon Straits....
) – Mojikō Station
Mojiko Station
in Moji ward, Kitakyūshū, Japan is the oldest station on the Kagoshima Main Line in Kyūshū and the terminus for those going to and from Honshū by boat...
(Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka
Kitakyushu, Fukuoka
is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyūshū, Japan. It is midway between Tokyo and Shanghai.- Demographics :Kitakyūshū has a population of just under one million...
)
Miyajima Ferry
JR Miyajima Ferry
is the ferry route between Miyajimaguchi, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima and Miyajima .JR Miyajima Ferries are operated by , a wholly owned subsidiary of West Japan Railway Company ....
: Miyajimaguchi Station
Miyajimaguchi Station
Miyajimaguchi Station is a JR station on JR Sanyō Main Line in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima.From the pier near the station there are ferry services for Miyajima by JR Miyajima Ferry and Miyajima Matsudai Kisen.-Platforms:-JR:█ Sanyō Main Line...
(Ōno, Hiroshima
Ono, Hiroshima
was a town located in Saeki District, Hiroshima, Japan.On November 3, 2005 Ōno, along with the town of Miyajima, also from Saeki District, was merged into the city of Hatsukaichi....
) – Miyajima Station (Miyajima, Hiroshima
Miyajima, Hiroshima
was a town located on the island of Itsukushima in Saeki District, Hiroshima, Japan.On November 3, 2005 Miyajima, along with the town of Ōno, also from Saeki District, was merged into the city of Hatsukaichi....
)
Nihori Ferry (discontinued in 1982): Nigata Station
Nigata Station
is a JR West Kure Line station located in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.-History:*1935-11-24: Nigata Station opens*1946-05-01: Nibori Ferry service begins*1976-06-01: Nigata Station ceases handling freight service*1982-07-01: Nibori Ferry service ceases...
(Kure, Hiroshima
Kure, Hiroshima
is a city in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 240,820 and a population density of 681 persons per km². The total area is 353.74 km².- History :...
) – Horie Station
Horie Station
is a train station in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.-Adjacent stations:...
(Matsuyama, Ehime
Matsuyama, Ehime
is the capital city of Ehime Prefecture on the Shikoku island of Japan. It is located on the northeastern portion of the Dōgo Plain. Its name means "pine mountain." The city was founded on December 15, 1889....
)
Yanai, Yamaguchi
is a city located in Yamaguchi, Japan.The interchange and the expressway is located in the east.Yanai is bounded by Hikari.-History:The city was founded on March 31, 1954....
) – Komatsukō Station (Suō-Ōshima, Yamaguchi
Suo-Oshima, Yamaguchi
is a town located in Ōshima District, Yamaguchi, Japan.Suō-Ōshima was formed on October 1, 2004 from the merger of the former towns of Ōshima, Kuka, Tachibana and Tōwa, all from towns of Ōshima District....
)
Seikan Ferry: Aomori Station
Aomori Station
is a railway station located in Aomori, Aomori, Japan. The station opened on 1 September 1891.-Lines:Aomori Station is served by the following lines.*Ōu Main Line *Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line *Aoimori Railway Line...
(Aomori, Aomori
Aomori, Aomori
is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the northern Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 302,068 and a density of 366 persons per km². Its total area was 824.52 km².- History :...
) – Hakodate Station
Hakodate Station
is a railway station in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan, operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company . It is the terminus of the Hakodate Main Line and the Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line; Hakodate Municipal Transit streetcars stop at the adjacent Hakodate Eki-mae Station....
(Hakodate, Hokkaidō
Hakodate, Hokkaido
is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture.Hakodate was Japan's first city whose port was opened to foreign trade in 1854 as a result of Convention of Kanagawa, and used to be the most important port in northern Japan...
)
Ukō Ferry: Uno Station (Tamano, Okayama
Tamano, Okayama
is a city located in the southern Okayama, Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 64,980, with a household number of 27,933 and the density of 627.16 persons per km². The total area is 103.61 km²....
) – Takamatsu Station
Takamatsu Station (Kagawa)
is a railway station on the Yosan and Kōtoku lines in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by Shikoku Railway Company.The station is the terminus of the Yosan Line and the Kōtoku Line.- Ground platforms :-External links:*...
(Takamatsu, Kagawa
Takamatsu, Kagawa
is a city located in central Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan, and is the seat of the prefectural government. It is designated a core city by the Japanese Government. It is a port city located on the Seto Inland Sea, and is the closest port to Honshu from Shikoku island...
)
Out of three routes assigned to JR companies in 1987, only the Miyajima Ferry remains active as of 2010.
Accidents
JNR as a public corporation (from 1949 to 1987) experienced five major accidents (including two shipwrecks of railway ferries) with casualties more than 100:Sakuragichō train fire
Sakuragichō train fire
The occurred on April 24, 1951, when a 63 series Keihin Railway train approaching Sakuragichō Station in Yokohama hit a loose overhead wire causing a short circuit and starting a fire which killed 106 people and injured 92.-Accident:...
: A train fire at Sakuragichō Station
Sakuragicho Station
, is a railway station located in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan.-Lines:Sakuragichō Station is served by the following lines.*East Japan Railway Company**Keihin-Tōhoku Line / Negishi Line*Yokohama Municipal Subway**Blue Line -Station layout:...
in Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
on April 24, 1951 killed 106.
Toya Maru
Toya Maru
The was a Japanese train ferry constructed by the Japanese National Railways which sank during a typhoon in the Tsugaru Strait between the Japanese islands of Hokkaidō and Honshū on September 26, 1954. It is said that 1,153 people aboard were killed in the accident...
disaster: A Seikan ferryboat sank off Hakodate
Hakodate, Hokkaido
is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture.Hakodate was Japan's first city whose port was opened to foreign trade in 1854 as a result of Convention of Kanagawa, and used to be the most important port in northern Japan...
killing 1,155 in a typhoon storm on September 26, 1954.
Shiun Maru disaster: An Ukō ferryboat collided with a fellow boat in a dense fog and sank killing 166 on May 11, 1955.
Mikawashima rail crash
Mikawashima train crash
The Mikawashima train crash was a multiple train crash which occurred on 3 May 1962 near Mikawashima Station in Arakawa, Tokyo. It involved a freight train and two passenger trains; 160 people were killed.-First train:...
: A three-train collision near Mikawashima Station
Mikawashima Station
is a train station on the Jōban Line in Arakawa, Tokyo, Japan.-Accident:On 3 May 1962, there was a crash between a freight train and two passenger trains which resulted in 160 deaths and 296 injuries...
in Tokyo on May 3, 1962 killed 160.
Yokohama rail crash
Yokohama rail crash
The occurred on November 9, 1963 between Tsurumi Station and Shin-Koyasu Station on the Tōkaidō Main Line in Yokohama, Japan, about south of Tokyo, when two passenger trains collided with a derailed freight train, killing 162 people.-Accident:...
: A three-train collision near Tsurumi Station
Tsurumi Station
is a railway station operated by JR East located in Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is an interchange between the Keihin-Tōhoku Line and the Tsurumi Line , and is 52.0 kilometers from the terminus of the Keihin-Tōhoku Line at Ōmiya Station...
in Yokohama on November 9, 1963 killed 161.
Criminal incidents
In its very early days as a public corporation, JNR experienced a series of mysterious incidents as follows. Although the police at that time treated them as terrorismTerrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
by the communists
Japanese Communist Party
The Japanese Communist Party is a left-wing political party in Japan.The JCP advocates the establishment of a society based on socialism, democracy and peace, and opposition to militarism...
, doubts have been raised as to the validity of this conclusion.
Shimoyama incident
Shimoyama incident
The was the disappearance and death of , the first president of Japanese National Railways. He disappeared on his way to work, July 5, 1949, and his body was found the next day....
: The dismembered body of JNR President Sadanori Shimoyama was found on a railway track on July 5, 1949. (The possibility of non-criminal suicide has not been ruled out.)
Mitaka incident
Mitaka incident
The was an incident that took place on July 15, 1949 when an unmanned 63 series train with its operating handle tied down drove into Mitaka Station on the Chūō Line in Tokyo, Japan, killing 6 people and injuring 20....
: A train running without crew crashed into passengers and killed six people on July 15, 1949.
Matsukawa incident
Matsukawa derailment
The happened on August 17, 1949 when a passenger train hauled by a JNR Class C51 steam locomotive derailed and overturned between Kanayagawa and Matsukawa stations on the Tōhoku Main Line in Japan, killing three crew members. It was reported that the tracks had been sabotaged, which the...
: A train was derailed because of destroyed track and three crew were killed on August 17, 1949.
In later years, JNR was a target of radical leftists
Far left
Far left, also known as the revolutionary left, radical left and extreme left are terms which refer to the highest degree of leftist positions among left-wing politics...
. On October 21, 1968, groups of extremist students celebrating "International Antiwar Day" occupied and vandalized Shinjuku Station
Shinjuku Station
is a train station located in Shinjuku and Shibuya wards in Tokyo, Japan.Serving as the main connecting hub for rail traffic between central Tokyo and its western suburbs on inter-city rail, commuter rail and metro lines, the station was used by an average of 3.64 million people per day in 2007,...
in Tokyo. They criticized JNR's collaboration in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
by operating freight trains carrying jet fuel
Jet fuel
Jet fuel is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is clear to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial aviation are Jet A and Jet A-1 which are produced to a standardized international specification...
for U.S. military use. On November 29, 1985, militant
Militant
The word militant, which is both an adjective and a noun, usually is used to mean vigorously active, combative and aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in 'militant reformers'. It comes from the 15th century Latin "militare" meaning "to serve as a soldier"...
s supporting a radical sect of JNR's labor union objecting to the privatization of JNR damaged signal cables at 33 points around Tokyo and Osaka to halt thousands of commuter trains and then set fire to Asakusabashi Station
Asakusabashi Station
is a subway station on the Toei Asakusa Line operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation, and a railway station above ground level on the Chūō-Sōbu Line at the same site operated by the East Japan Railway Company . It is located in the Asakusabashi neighborhood of Taitō, Tokyo, Japan...
in Tokyo.
As such, the relationship with labor unions was always a difficult problem for JNR. Since public workers were prohibited to strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
, they carried out "work-to-rule protests" that caused trains to be delayed. On March 13, 1973, train delays caused by such protests resulted in a riot
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
of angered passengers at Ageo Station
Ageo Station
is a railway station on the Takasaki Line operated by East Japan Railway Company in Ageo, Saitama, Japan.-Layout:The station has a side platform and an island platform.Tracks- Adjacent stations :-External links:*...
in Saitama Prefecture (Ageo incident). From November 26, 1975 to December 3, 1975, major labor unions of JNR conducted an eight-day-long illegal "strike for the right to strike", which resulted in a total defeat of the unions.
Baseball team
Between 1950 and 1965, JNR indirectly owned a professional baseball team named . SwallowSwallow
The swallows and martins are a group of passerine birds in the family Hirundinidae which are characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding...
was a symbol of JNR as it is the English equivalent of Japanese Tsubame
Tsubame (Shinkansen)
The is the name of the train services operating on the Kyūshū Shinkansen in Japan since 2004.The word in Japanese means "swallow", and has been used on a succession of limited express trains on the Tōkaidō and Sanyō Main Line in Japan since 1930.-Pre-war:...
, the name of a deluxe train of JNR in 1950s.
Kokutetsu Swallows are the predecessors of present-day Tokyo Yakult Swallows
Tokyo Yakult Swallows
is a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League.The Swallows are named after their corporate owners, the Yakult Corporation. From 1950 to 1965, the team was owned by the former Japanese National Railways and called the Kokutetsu Swallows; the team was then owned by the newspaper Sankei...
.
See also
- Japan Railways locomotive numbering and classificationJapan Railways locomotive numbering and classificationThis page explains the numbering and classification schemes for locomotives employed by the Japanese Government Railways, the Japanese National Railways and the Japan Railways Group.- Pre-nationalization :...
- SoftBank Telecom – former Japan Telecom, an affiliated company of JNR established in 1984
- Canadian National RailwayCanadian National RailwayThe Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
: Canada's equivalent to the Japanese National Railways.