Figure 1.--Long queues of opeople wauiting to board buses and trolly were common in Japan before the war, suggesting a still inadequate system. Here a secondary school student bosrds a city bus. Primsry children lived within walking distance of therir school. Many secondary students had to take busses and trollies. There were no school busses in Japan before the Pacific War. Many ciuty buses were powere wuth charcoal because oil fueks were so expensive. .

Transport is a vital part of any country's economy. Here Japan was especially challenged because of the mountaneous interior of the Home Islands. The Japanese were highly dependent on public transport. Only one persin in 400 owned any kind of a motor vehicle, small fraction of American vehicle ownership. This not only affected transport, but the country's ability to support and supply modern mechanized warfare. Of course hen we speak of transport, we are not only speaking of people., but also goods. Of special importance was the rail system which is the primary transport network which was the case of most other important countries at the time. Japanese industry and agriculture was highly dependent in the rail system. Japan had a modern system of rail travel and transport. The system was mostly state-owned--about two-thirds of total. The privately owned rail companies were mostly local feeder service for the primary trunk lines. The Meiji Government began pronoting rail construction (late-19th century) as part of industrial development. They kept fares low to encourage travel. This both helped expand the systenm as well as to promote visits to shrines and temples and other patriotic sites. Of course with the adventb of the War , travel was restricted to reserve the systemn's capacity primarily to war-related cargoes. The national gage in Japan is 3 feet 6 inches. Thuis is a narrow gage system. The American gage is 4 ft 8.5 in. There is a range of gages used around the world, but the wide gage used in America is the most common. As a result of the country's narrow gage, Japanese trains move lower and have smaller, lighter carriages (rolling stock) than rail systems in America and Europe. This all affects the system's load capacity. A major Woitld War II weapons system was the tank. Japan produced the wirst tanks of the War. But id they produced heavier tnks, just how couldf hy be transported. The locmotives were not as modern as in America, but thre were two crack express trains. The system has good coverage--some 17,000 miles of track. TThe lines mostly followed the coast because of the mounatenous interior made construction there very expensive. This track milage was twice that of American state of Califorina, about equal in area. The concentration of lines along the coast made the Japanese rail system very vulnerable to attack. The Japanese milirary was not at the time very conmcerned bout this possibility. Another vulnerability was that Tokyo was the center of the rail system, even more so than Chicago in the United States. Trains to the north were called down trains and to the south up trains. The trains were not as heavy as in Anerica, but one American source comments that they were well adapted to the relatively short haul requirement of the island nation. [U.S. War Departmennt] Japanese railroads were fueled primarily by coal. We do not know of any oil fueled locomotives. There were a few electrically powered lines, mostin or near Tokyo and Osaka. This included inter-urban lines, suways, and elevated trains. Thee were also trolly cars nbd busses. Almost all modern transport was pubic transpprt because virtually no Japnese people owned cars--they were beyond the purchasing power of Japanese workers. Bicycles were owned and there was a fledgling motocycle indutry--not yet of great importnce. (Honda Motors was a post-War phenomenon. The use of draft animals continued, espcially in the countrysiude. The highway system was poorly developed, but considerable development iccurred in the lare-1920s acd 1930s. Roads were inadequte outside the cities and many were not surfaced, but rudimentary local bus service radiauted out from the cities and in the 1930s becam to develp service between the principal cities. Busses tended to be much smaller than American buses. They were a major factor in the development of Japanese hughways, in coteast to America where privare cars were the principal driving force. Earlier there were no high-speed surfced roads outsude the main cities. By the time of World II, a modern high ran up and down the east and west coist of Honshu, the porincioal Japanese island.

Terraine

Transport is a vital part of any country's economy. Here Japan was especially challenged because of the mountaneous interior of the Home Islands.

Public Transport

The Japanese were highly dependent on public transport. Only one persin in 400 owned any kind of a motor vehicle, small fraction of American vehicle ownership. This not only affected transport, but the country's ability to support and supply modern mechanized warfare. The lack of a sibstbyisl notorvehiclke industry was the principl reason Jpzn was unble gto complete its conquest of China.

Rail System

Of course when we speak of transport, we are not only speaking of pepole., but also goods. Of special importance was the rail system which is the primary transport network which was the case of most other important countries at the time. Japanese industry and agriculture was highly dependent in the rail system. Japan had a modern system of rail travel and transport. The system was mostly state-owned--about two-thirds of total. The privately owned rail companies were mostly local feeder service for the primary trunk lines. The Meiji Government began pronoting rail construction (late-19th century) as part of industrial development. Thegoivernmnt kept fares low to encourage travel. This both helped expand the systenm as well as to promote visits to shrines and temples and other patriotic sites. Of course with the adventb of the War, travel was restricted to reserve the systemn's capacity primarily to war-related cargoes. The national gage in Japan is 3 feet 6 inches. Thuis is a narrow gage system. The American gage is 4 ft 8.5 in. There is a range of gages used around the world, but the wide gage used in America is the most common. As a result of the country's narrow gage, Japanese trains move lower and have smaller, lighter carriages (rolling stock) than rail systems in America and Europe. This all affects the system's load capacity. A major World War II weapons system was the tank. Japan produced the worst tanks of the War. But if they produced heavier tanks, just how couldf hy be transported. The locmotives were not as modern as in America, but there were two crack express trains. The system has good coverage--some 17,000 miles of track. TThe lines mostly followed the coast because of the mounatenous interior made construction there very expensive. This track milage was twice that of American state of Califorina, about equal in area. The concentration of lines along the coast made the Japanese rail system very vulnerable to attack. The Japanese military was not at the time very conmcerned bout this possibility. Another vulnerability was that Tokyo was the center of the rail system, even more so than Chicago in the United States. Trains to the north were called down trains and to the south up trains. The trains were not as heavy as in Anerica, but one American source comments that they were well adapted to the relatively short-haul requirments of the island nation. [U.S. War Departmennt] Japanese railroads were fueled primarily by coal. We do not know of any oil fueled locomotives. There were a few electrically powered lines, mostly in or near Tokyo and Osaka. This included inter-urban lines, suways, and elevated trains. Thee were also trolly cars nbd busses.

Motor Vehicles

Almost all modern transport was pubic transpprt because virtually no Japnese people owned cars--they were beyond the purchasing power of Japanese workers. Actualy they were beyond the wildest immagination of Jpznese workers. Most were importnt as Japan was not yet manufacturing quality cars and otherr motor vehicles. Car manufcturiung may not seem of great importance in a war, until you realize that American automotive companies began churning out a dizzying quantity of aircraft, tanks, and othrr military vehicles after only a little over a year of a conversion process. In addition, Blitzkrieg (modern mobil warfare) not only required tanks, but massive numbers of trucks. The lack of motor vehicles is major reason the Imperial Army filed to conplete its conquest of China. Japanese anlysts were aware, or at keast partially aware, of Anerivan indusrial power. They had no idea hows quickly Americzan industry could convert for war. Their assessmebt was that America could be quickly defeated in a short Pacific War. Mny officers were sure ctha martial perople like Jpan could easily defeat the fun-loving Americans. Japan had a fledgling motorcycle indutry--basically motorized bycyckes. It was not yet of great importnce. (Honda Motors was a post-War phenomenon.) Of course the issue with motor vehickes was not just that Japsnese workers could not sfford the, but that Japan did not hasce domestic sources of the oil that was needed to run them. The highway system was poorly developed, but considerable development iccurred in the lare-1920s acd 1930s. Roads were inadequte outside the cities and many were not surfaced, but rudimentary local bus service radiauted out from the cities and in the 1930s becam to develp service between the principal cities. Busses tended to be much smaller than American buses. They were a major factor in the development of Japanese hughways, in coteast to America where privare cars were the principal driving force. Earlier there were no high-speed surfced roads outsude the main cities. By the time of World War II, modern highwayd ran up and down the east and west coast of Honshu, the largst of Japan's four main islands. For the most oart, however, Japan's highways are narrow, poorky ir nit syfaced and not adeqwuate gir fast travel.

Shipping

Japaznbrse rucers snd bays are filled with many moisdtly unpowered bosts an sanpans for transport and fishing. Larger bosats snd sanpasns operate along the coast. Ships are involved in the inter-island abnd China-cosat trade. Especially important is the delivery of coal fronm the norther bd southern islnds to the industrial entrprises on Honshu that are the backbone oif the Jaobnese war economy. Fishing was a very important source of protein in Japan wiyhout the land to produce needed untities of animslmpriein. Msny small boars powered msnyully or by sail along the cioast. Studier abpsns oprtste off the coast. There were even few deep-sea facrory ships opetrsting in distant waters as far as Mexico. Japan along with building a powerful navy, was also building merchant ships called marus. Japam mearly bnkupted itsekf building nval vessels before the war. At least with the marus there was an economic return. Next to Britain and the Unuied States, Japan had the third largest merchant fleet in the world. Cheap construction costs and lower operatung expoenses along with generous government subsidues gave the Japanese marus an advanbtage over cometitirs. A large merchant fleet was needed because unlike countries like France, Germany, and Itaky, all of its foreign trade had to be conducted by shipping. At the time, flag of convenience flags were not a major matter. In fact thius only begun with the Roosevelt Adninitrations efforts to evade the Neutrality Acts to assist Britain. The problem for Japan was that while their masru fkeet was adequte for peacetime, it was woefully inadequate for the addition freught requirements of wartime. And once the war began, Japan's shipysrds had to focus on naval vessels--the U.S. Navy proved to be a more formidable challenge than they had anticipated. Additional marus could not be built in any number. Shipping wiukd vecime Jaoan;s majorcinstraiunt durung the Pacific War. In contrast, the United States began buildiung a staggering number of maerchant and other vessels as partty of the Liberty Ship program.

Air Transport

Japan lagged behind the West in air transport. This was not bedcause Japan did not have an avilation industry. Actually it had a consiuderabke cability that generally escaped Western observers in plain sight. When a new Japanese model mppeared, the debate in the West was often from what Anerican or European aircraft it was copied. (Despite the fact that the Japanese creation commonly had suerior flight characteristucs from the plane it was suposedkly copied.) The basic problem was thet there was not enough well to do families to afford to fly. Also in th era before radar and instrument flying, there wer seaons in which flying was infavorable. One source spefies 8 months of dangerouds weather. Heavy nists and clouds often hide mountain tops. There were no direct flights to Japan at the timne of Wirkd War II. The United States had just initiated PanAm's China Clipper service. Of course Joapanese aviation companies mostly survived on miitary contracts. While in America civil aviation comamies were beginning to place substanial orders, espcially hen the Douglas DC-3 appeared. The Jaoanese even ordered a few.

Bicycles

Bicycles were owned and used, This is somethung a worker could fford. They were not only used for personal travel, but to carry freight as well. For yhis ourose a trailer might be hookrd on to the rear.

Draft Amimals

The use of draft animals continued, espcially in the countrysiude.

Sources

War Departmnent--United States. "Japanese transportationm and communication system" Film 23705 Misc 1061 (Army Pictorial Seriuce). The restriucted film is indated, but was proiably compiled about 1945-46. It was assembled from Japanese films and used in the Civil Affairs Training Schools conducted by the Provost Marshal General. Its main purpose was to inform the viewers -- presumably U.S. servicemen and officers -- of how Japan’s transportation and communication systems were organized.

Yoshida, Phyllis Genther. "Japan’s energy conundrum," (Sasakawa Peace Foundationm USA: 2017)

Created: 1:43 AM 8/11/2021
Last updated: 1:44 AM 8/11/2021