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May 23, 2025
 

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RAIL

JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 2, 2023
Tokaido Shinkansen train halted after apparent bear spray release
At least five passengers fell ill as the bullet train was halted at JR Hamamatsu Station in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Tunnel construction for the Hokkaido Shinkansen has proved slow in some areas due to geological reasons and the difficulty of blasting through the earth.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Nov 20, 2023
Tight labor market puts Hokkaido Shinkansen 2030 goal in doubt
The 212-kilometer route now under construction will link cities between Hakodate, at the southern tip of the prefecture, and Sapporo.
A worker supervises construction work on a wave breaker in the port of Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, Mexico, on Oct. 9, as part of expansion works on the Interoceanic Railway that connects the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
BUSINESS
Nov 16, 2023
Mexico building rail rival as water shortages drain Panama Canal
By 2028, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec Interoceanic Corridor should see 300,000 cargo containers transit every year, with 1.4 million by 2033.
Train service on Tokyo’s Yamanote Line will be partially suspended this weekend.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 15, 2023
Yamanote Line set for closures and reduced service Nov. 18 and 19
Train service on Tokyo’s Yamanote Line will be partially suspended this weekend as part of ongoing construction work at Shibuya Station.
JR Kyushu is investigating four foreign YouTubers who seemingly took free rides on trains around the country.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 24, 2023
Railway operator investigates free-riding foreign YouTubers
A YouTuber known as Fidias posted a video of the four riding trains around Japan, apparently without paying for tickets.
JAPAN
Oct 18, 2023
Bullet train lines to nix smoking rooms as health consciousness grows
As of next spring, the smoking rooms will be replaced with areas to store drinking water to be distributed in times of emergency.
The U.K.'s decision to cut back on its HS2 high-speed rail network runs contrary to the path taken by Japan, which stuck to a long-term infrastructure plan.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 11, 2023
U.K. effort to imitate Japan's shinkansen falls short
There is value of sticking to a long-term infrastructure plan, as Japan has done for almost 50 years with its high-speed rail system.
Passengers line up to board a bullet train at Tokyo Station in August.
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2023
Shinkansen rail pass prices soar 70% for tourists
Even with the big increase, demand is likely to stay strong thanks to a cheaper yen and steady flow of inbound visitors.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo launches the China-backed high-speed railway connecting Jakarta and Bandung called "Whoosh," at Halim station in Jakarta, on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 2, 2023
Indonesia launches Southeast Asia's first high-speed rail
Indonesian President Joko Widodo hailed the bullet train "Whoosh" as "a symbol of our modernization."
A cross-section illustration of the second Seikan Tunnel proposed by the Japan Project-Industry Council
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Sep 25, 2023
Is the plan to build a second Seikan Tunnel realistic?
Advocates suggest shorter travel times and revitalized communities, while critics worry about the price tag.
The Japanese conglomerate put in its offer to the European Commission on Thursday, the same day it requested EU clearance for the deal, an EU regulatory filing showed Friday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 16, 2023
Hitachi offers to sell assets to win EU okay for Thales rail deal
Hitachi has offered to sell assets in France and Germany as well as its core train control tech to gain EU approval for the railway signaling deal.
Passengers wait to board a shinkansen at Kyoto Station.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 14, 2023
Nozomi shinkansen to halt nonreserved seats during peak periods
The restriction will apply between Dec. 28 this year and Jan. 4 as well as the Golden Week and Bon holiday periods.
The typical priority seat section on a Japanese train will be well marked in numerous languages.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 8, 2023
The priority seats: Are they fair game on an empty train?
Japan is a society with many unspoken rules. Are you aware of the norms that govern your place of business?
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 31, 2023
Hokuriku Shinkansen to link Kanazawa with Tsuruga from next March
The fastest travel time between Tokyo and Fukui will be two hours and 51 minutes — down 36 minutes from the time required on the current shortest route.
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2023
Yamanashi governor proposes light rail system for Mount Fuji
The rail system, intended to address over-tourism, would replace the Fuji Subaru highway, which leads to one of the Mount Fuji’s fifth stations.
A women-only passenger train in Tokyo
JAPAN / Explainer
Aug 18, 2023
DJ Soda incident spotlights prevalence of groping in Japan
The groping of the South Korean DJ at a festival spurred online conversations about the issue, with a term translating as "groping country" trending on X.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 17, 2023
Shinkansen lines resume, but travelers may still face long delays
Central Japan Railway is urging people to refrain from using the train service until stations become less crowded.
JAPAN
Aug 14, 2023
Japan braces for another typhoon as trains and flights canceled
Typhoon Lan is poised to make landfall in central Japan on Tuesday, with the storm set to bring a month’s worth of rain in just a few days.
JAPAN
Aug 9, 2023
Tropical Storm Khanun lashes southern Japan as second storm nears
As Khanun pounds the south, Tropical Storm Lan may threaten Tokyo just as thousands prepare to travel during a peak holiday season.
BUSINESS
Aug 8, 2023
End of the line for snack carts on Tokyo-Osaka shinkansen
End of popular service comes amid a looming labor shortage and the trend of more people buying food before boarding.
Trump’s wake-up call for India’s foreign policy
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Feb. 13. Trump’s coercive use of trade threats against India during the Pakistan military crisis has undermined trust in the U.S.-India partnership and exposed Washington as an unreliable security ally.
Toyota considers making tiny trucks for U.S. market as demand booms
Toyota executives say the automaker is listening to U.S. dealer requests for a truck smaller than the brand’s best-selling Tacoma midsize and Tundra full-size pickups.
Onosato’s march to yokozuna could usher in golden age for sumo
Onosato (left) battles Gonoyama on Day 6 of the Summer Basho. With Onosato on the cusp of promotion to yokozuna, there could soon be two titans at the top of the sport fighting for titles.
Shinjiro Koizumi takes farm ministry reins after predecessor's rice gaffe
Agriculture minister Taku Eto (left), who resigned on Wednesday, and former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi
Railguns, missiles and lasers: Japan uses massive defense event to highlight shift
A mock-up of Japan's state-of-the-art railgun, which is currently undergoing testing, is displayed at the three-day DSEI Japan defense exhibition in the city of Chiba on Wednesday.
Nippon Ishin grapples with poor governance ahead of Upper House election
Nippon Ishin no Kai co-leader Seiji Maehara speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Friday.
Beware of dubious websites offering cheap rice, consumer watchdog warns
Questionable websites appear to be taking advantage of consumers looking for cheaper rice online amid the high prices of the staple grain in the nation.
Onosato’s march to yokozuna could usher in golden age for sumo
Onosato (left) battles Gonoyama on Day 6 of the Summer Basho. With Onosato on the cusp of promotion to yokozuna, there could soon be two titans at the top of the sport fighting for titles.
A window into the mind of Esperantist and political activist Teru Hasegawa
Teru Hasegawa, Esperanto name Verda Majo, wrote leftist political essays during WWII.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

A sinkhole in Yashio, which emerged in January, was triggered by a ruptured, aging sewer pipe. Authorities worry that similar sections of infrastructure across the country are also at risk of corrosion.
That sinking feeling: Japan’s aging sewers are an infrastructure time bomb
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Tsukuba massif granite, one of the world’s few heritage stones
Tsukuba massif granite, one of the world’s few heritage stones

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