| Transportation In The Empire Of Japan |
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Japan during the Seventh Century had linked all towns with a basic system of Imperial roads, which long stayed in use. These roads linked cities with Sacred sites, and were used by regular citizens and imperial Civil Servant s. The most famous of these was the " Tokaido Way", from Kyoto , the Feudal capital, to Yedo (now Tokyo ) 300 miles (500 km) away. Other similar roads led from Kyoto to the west tip of Honshu , and to the North. These were merely Tourist routes, surrounded by Pine trees, and not suitable for Automotive transit. The road system in the time of the Japanese Empire was limited. Motor transport had a low penetration, given the Mountain ous land and the difficulty of constructing and maintaining roads. Of a total of 1 million km, 90% of that outside Urban areas was narrow or of low standard. Cars and imported Fuel were expensive for the ordinary Japanese citizen, so buses were popular. In 1923 there were 100,000 automobiles in country (2/3 cars, 1/3 trucks). The majority of these cars were Taxi s; private cars were few. The geography of Japan favoured the development of transport by sea, over land. The unfavourable Topography spoke against a railway system, but the many coastal Port s permitted intense Cabotage navigation. Heavy goods were shipped by sea; railway passengers were a main revenue source. The railway system, which was 75% Government -owned, was dense, and reached most areas. Within Japan proper the system was 13,581 miles long in 1938 . This carried more than 1000 million passengers per year, average journey 15.4 miles. The Gauge was is 3 feet 6 inch (1067 mm), in contrast with the Standard Gauge of 4 feet & 8 1/2 inches (1435 mm). The speed was low, with 2% of lines electrified, principally near Tokyo and Osaka . Express trains between Tokio and Aomori in the extreme north required 13 hours to cover 457 miles. From Tokyo to Shimonoseki in the extreme South was a distance of 1100 km. Both terminuses, Aomori and Shimonoseki, had sea links, connecting Honshu with Hokkaido , Hakodate , and Fusan in Chosen , respectively. The line south continued from Fusan, for Seoul and Manchukuo ; the terminal in Manchouli connected with Chita in the Soviet Far East . Another line from Seoul went to Rashin on to Manchukuo or Vladivostok . The Hakodate terminal was for Sapporo and the whole island; further to Ootomari in Karafuto , to Toyohara , to the Russian frontier at Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky in Soviet Sakhalin . A tunnel passing under the Shimonoseki Strait linked Honshu with Kyushu . Another line ran from Shimonoseki or Mojito , with a Ferry for continuing to the Kirun ( Keelung ) terminal in Taiwan ; for Takao and Tainan City in the south of the island. There also were regular railway ferries, especially during the Pacific War , connecting to the Chinese railway system. The Philippines and all Southeast Asian railway systems were integrated into the Japanese railway system structure. SEE ALSO |
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