Thursday 6 April 2006
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Shinkansen: From Bullet Train to Symbol of Modern Japan
Daiwa Foundation Japan House
Organised by the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation
By Christopher Hood
Published by Routledge
The image of the shinkansen or ‘bullet train’ passing Mount Fuji is one of the most renowned images of modern Japan. Yet, despite its international reputation for speed and punctuality, little is understood about what makes it work so well and what its impact is.
This is a comprehensive account of the history of the shinkansen, from its planning during the Pacific War, to its launch in 1964 and subsequent development. It goes on to analyse the reasons behind the shinkansen’s success, and demonstrates how it went from being simply a high-speed rail network to attaining the status of iconic national symbol. It considers the shinkansen’s relationship with national and regional politics and economic development, its financial viability, the environmental challenges it must cope with, and the ways in which it reflects and influences important aspects of Japanese society. It concludes by considering whether the shinkansen can be successful in other countries developing high-speed railways. Overall, this book provides a thorough examination of the phenomenon of the shinkansen, and its relationship with Japanese society.
About the contributors
Dr Christopher Hood
Dr Christopher Hood is Director of the Cardiff Japanese Studies Centre at Cardiff University. He graduated from Sheffield University in Business Studies and Japanese and subsequently taught for one year in Japan on the JET Programme. He returned to Sheffield and completed a PhD on Nakasone Yasuhiro and Japanese education reform (Japanese Education Reform: Nakasone’s Legacy, Routledge, 2001). He is co-editor of Doing Business with the Japanese (2001). He is an Associate Fellow at Chatham House, a Council Member of the Japan Society, and a Council Member of the British Association for JapaneseStudies.
Professor Rod Smith
Professor Rod Smith (chair) is the Royal Academy of Engineering Research Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London. He is a recognized expert on the railways and Japan in particular; he has led DTI missions to Japan to examine safety and passenger interface issues. As part of the Japan 2001 Festival, he arranged for an original bullet train to be donated to the National Railway Museum in York. He has major research contracts from the UK rail industry, and has given expert opinion in many legal cases following railway accidents.