Why Japan’s Trains Work Better Than Anywhere Else

[@IJO221]

I think part of it is Japanese culture. They have a culture of respect that keeps their public infrastructure good with less maintenance. You don’t see as much graffiti, trash, or crime on their railways because of this. New York isn’t free from blame, they’ve definitely made the problem worse, but they don’t have as good of a situation.

[@cassiuslives4807]

@@IJO221 the welfare state has eroded public morals and cohesion precipitously. As FDR said, an opiate for the masses. Also, the Japanese justice system does not F around

[@joefroelich4934]

I been to Japan twice. The trains are almost perfect. Largest city in the world but you can get from one point to another anywhere in the city in about an hour or so. Riding the trains in Japan is enjoyable.

[@cassiuslives4807]

There are two things to add to this. First that the initial construction of JR was government owned, and basically bankrupted Japan after the construction of the shinkansen, so was split off an privatised. The second is that, like HK, the revenue comes mainly from train services, but rents on the shopping centres over major train stations, which is rare in the west (I live in Victoria, Australia, and only two train stations in the network have major shopping centres over them, and neither is owned by the train company).

[@pickled51]

This is why the privately owned Brightline rail service is going to be successful in South Florida. Brightline is actually a real estate company that happens to run a passenger rail service as a side line.

[@b_uppy]

Japanese rail is also subsidized I some areas, as well as some of the tracks still being owned by the government. Yes, governments miss opportunities that businesses can take advantage of. Would love a grocery store right there at the train station so that lugging home food is a lot easier...

[@gror7849]

The New York Transit Authority head hunted and hired Andy Byford from us in Toronto in Dec 2017 where he was leading the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission). He was quite a capable administrator and it was a loss for us. He started in NY in January 2018 and by 2020 he left his post due to political interference from your then governor Cuomo. No better example of how things can turn to dust when politics intervenes and interferes in running something that the private world is actually equipped, incentivized and able to do better!!!

[@onetwothreeabc]

That’s the point. If MTA is private, they will be trying their best to increase their revenue by increasing the ridership, rather than pleasing politicians.

[@Sander-j2i2o]

Japanese Railroad Companies make their money with real estate that they develop around their train stations and not with their railroad operations. The railroad just serves as a connection between their real estate locations (both malls, housing estates and business districts)

[@michaela6902]

It helps that Japan is a homogeneous society with strong moral values.

[@hgiudful]

... and NYC is not

[@ferchizzle]

And a cultural pride in engineering.

[@chhitijpahari1011]

Please stop trying to push your world view Mongolia is a homogeneous society with strong moral values . This is nothing to do with the video.

[@TathD]

God, you people repeat this line like parrots :D

[@b_uppy]

Yes but Mongolia is also geographically disadvantaged by being inland and controlled by the CCP. And the CCP willingly, nay deliberately push their worldviews on Mongolia...​@chhitijpahari1011

[@Anti-CornLawLeague]

Japan also allows building since Tokyo wrote their whole country’s zoning laws. No NIMBYs.

[@freedomwriter1995]

Politicians benefit when things take forever to run properly and fix. It means more money they can demand for "repairs" and then put in their back pocket instead.

[@ferchizzle]

That’s the argument for privatizing electric utilities in California and they are a hot mess right now. Rates are 2-3x that of the rest of the country.

[@KentoLeoDragon]

Different culture, values, ethics, obviously. Japan doesn't do multiculturalism.

[@AjninHaru]

Neither should America

[@b_uppy]

It limits multiculturalism. It discourages foreigners from becoming citizens.

[@1wun1]

London's people should also let us know what they think about it.

[@linuxman7777]

The Jr system and other private lines do some other things that other metro systems could do. For example, closing at midnight for maintenance, the systems in the US that do this are cleaner, and suffer less problems.

[@b_uppy]

Japanese rail is subsidized in rural areas, and some of the rail (tracks) are owned by the state. Think that helps with cohesiveness of service and adds to the success of the rail in the urban areas. Think it adds to eneral Japanese efficiency and lower costs. Do know that companies are far more flexible and responsive to government needs than government and it that makes it more workable. Also know unions are merciless in demands when it comes to government largesse...

[@THETRIVIALTHINGS]

You forgot cultural mindset.

[@jongreen9171]

For New York also read London. A few years ago, I took a tube on a return journey of about 8 stops and it cost me about £13. The same journey by bus was £1.50. The London tube is heavily unionised and they go on strike unless they get a massive pay rise which is always passed onto the commuters.

[@b_uppy]

That's a bit ridiculous for pricing. Are the buses private or public. I know the train services are run by private companies in Britain, in a way that has some overlap with Japan. It's a government/private business owned hybrid. Apparently Britain took it the wrong way.

[@SenorJuan2023]

New Orleans has a good system and it's been at least ten years since fares have been raised, and they were cheap then.

[@sdm6054]

Culture is the most important part. The rail network is a virtual monopoly, but they still don't let the network fall to pieces while sucking it dry. Contrast this with western countries and our monopolies let it rot and constantly increase fares to quickly suck as much money out of the business before collapse and bailout from government.

[@armorbearer9702]

I watched Cash Jordan's channel. There is a multitude of reasons why Japan's trains are better.

[@AlexRussell-kd9pd]

I'm not sure why, but the USA government seems to mess up public services and infrastructure more than in Europe or Canada. My local rapid transit is clean, efficient, and well maintained - and run by the government. I think it also helps that we voted YES to a small tax increase to improve service and build new lines. Has any American political entity ever voted to increase taxes via a referendum?

[@jonathannerz1696]

In Ohio, every new tax, or levy, must be approved by the voters, even for renewal. My locality just approved a new levy to fund the fire department.

[@b_uppy]

You forgot to mention cost...

[@GrammaNay]

Makes me glad I live in Oregon instead!

[@b_uppy]

Lol.

[@aespa690]

Of course I agree with the premise but this isnt the full story. JR was government owned until they went into debt and split and sold the railways. Also Japans economy peaked in 1990 and wages and prices are all roughly the same since then along with deflation.

[@AjninHaru]

How do you explain the lack of shit, piss, graffiti, stabbings and rapes on JR…

[@jonathannerz1696]

Once again, that just proves the point for privatization. The government almost went bankrupt, but by privatizing the rail companies, they can now turn a profit.

[@b_uppy]

Theh added shops, etc to the train stations. That adds to deflecting costs.

[@seanrodgers1839]

When your in a deflationary economy, it easy to keep costs low. The difference is more to do with culture than public / private. Modern American monopoly management practices would not give you what Japan has.

[@DefiantSix]

Moral of the story: GOVERNMENT destroys everything it touches. Everything...

[@vakuzar]

Im shocked that the goverment could do such a bad job

[@coreyhahn2846]

This is why Elon Musk can be trusted to provide better services than government bureaucracies. Privatize transportation, all of it!

[@ctreid87]

Beard Thursday!

[@firstcynic92]

No, that was not the first price increase for Japan Rail in 40 years. In 2023 they hiked the price of the rail pass by almost 70%! A 7 day pass went from ~¥30k to ¥50k. 14 and 21 day passes went up as well, to ¥80k & ¥100k. As of 1/16/25 that is $322, $515 & $614. Why didn't this make the news like the increase in this video? Because it's only tourists that were affected. This pass is not available to Japanese citizens.

[@alloydlangton]

I get what you mean, but that's not really what he's talking about. He's comparing the experience of residents using the trains for commuting like the vast majority of the passengers on trains in NYC and Japan. The experience of tourists is far less relevant to the average person and taxpayer. That's why he's not talking about the 21-day pass you're talking about. Plus it's just a 3-min video which is the point of the channel -- to make summaries of complex topics.

[@stevenscott2136]

​@@alloydlangton NYC wouldn't be willing to soak tourists like that, because the money from outside the cesspool is so valuable to them.

[@jasonderry5638]

Exactly what will happen to your health care once the government takes it over.

[@b_uppy]

You Scandinavia is going back to privatized healthcare. It's currently a hybrid system.

[@RingpopSmiths]

Love your videos! We need more common sense people and politicians like you in our society! Aside: please get a plosives filter for your microphone. Those P's come through pretty hard.

[@muddy-one]

This video ignores the economy. Japan has experienced significant deflation over the past 40 years, particularly since the early 1990s. The period from the 1990s to the 2010s is often referred to as the “Lost Decades,” during which Japan’s economy struggled with prolonged periods of very low or negative inflation. There is no need to hike fares when there is deflation or zero inflation.

[@TyeDPod]

On the contrary, they are incentived to do it this way. It's called government corruption.

[@gregleenyit]

How can they make promises like that and not be held accountable?

[@b_uppy]

Think your comment posted under the wrong video.

[@meekmeads]

Because it's shamefur dispray, not too!