The English name "Japanese Government Railways" was what the Ministry of Railways of Japan used to call its own "Ministry Lines" and sometimes the ministry itself as a railway operator. Other English names for the government railways include Imperial Japanese Government Railways and Imperial Government Railways, which were mainly used prior to the establishment of the ministry. This article however covers the railways operated by the central government of Japan from 1872 to 1949 notwithstanding the official English name of the system of each era.
The first railway in Japan was operated by the imperial government in 1872. The idea of centralization of the railway was promoted under the idea of "breaking down of the geographical barriers that existed in the feudal communities which hindered the centralization of authority"; placing the railways under government control was for military and political ends, the government had no intention for the central railway to be operated as a "model enterprise". Early shareholders of the railway were members of the nobility, holding "the major portion of capital". The governmental system was largely expanded by the promulgation of the Railway Nationalization Act in 1906. In 1920, the Ministry of Railways was established. In 1949, JGR was reorganized to become a state-owned public corporation named the Japanese National Railways.
Timeline
June 12, 1872 - Provisional opening of Tokyo-Yokohama railway
October 14, 1872 - Formal opening of Tokyo-Yokohama railway
October 1, 1907 - Completion of nationalization of 17 private railways under 1906 Railway Nationalization Act
February 1, 1946 - Official exclusion of Soviet-occupied Karafuto lines from national system
June 1, 1949 - Establishment of Japanese National Railways, i.e. end of Japanese Government Railways
April 1, 1987 - Privatization of JNR, establishment of seven JR companies
Historical operators of JGR
Before the establishment of the Japanese National Railways as a public corporation on June 1, 1949, the Japanese Government Railways were operated by the governmental agencies. The table below shows the historical operators of the JGR. Translated names of ministries may not be official. Names of the operating department generally mean "department of railways" or like.
Fare system
Since opening in 1872, the railway set fares for passengers in three classes. The transportation of freight was charged based on weight and class of goods. In 1872, passengers could choose from Upper, Middle and Lower classes, which were later renamed as First, Second and Third classes. Freight was shipped using one of five rates based on 100 kin of product. A 1923 review of the shipping tariffs further explained that goods are divided into three shipping classes : koguchi atsukai, kashikini atsukai and tokushu atsukai. It was also possible to ship them via futsubin and kyukobin. "It may, therefore, be fairly said that the freight rates of the State-owned railways in Japan are of absolute uniformity." As Japan is an island nation, it was noted that ocean-going vessels are a major source of competition for the freight business of the railway.
Technical details
The railway invested heavily in methods to reduce coal consumption in steam locomotives; between 1920 and 1936, coal consumption per kilometer traveled was reduced by about a quarter. The government mandated the use of automatic couplers on all cars on the system in July 1925. The system was transitioning from vacuum brakes to air brakes at this time, with most freight cars equipped with air brakes by April 1927.
Tourism promotion
One of the roles of the Japanese Government Railways was to attract foreign tourists to Japan. In 1930, the government created the Board of Tourist Industry as a section of the Japanese Government Railways. The Board printed and distributed picture posters and English guidebooks overseas and encouraged development of resort hotels at home. The Board was dissolved in 1942, following the outbreak of the Pacific War in 1941.
