Historical Development of Geological Survey in National Railways of Japan

Preceding the Establishment of Japanese Government Railways Geotechnical Committee

Abstract

After Meiji Restoration, geological survey in Japan was practiced as a means for exploration of mineral resources, and it was seldom employed for civil engineering purposes in those days. The same was true about railway construction which was the major engineering project. But some engineers were felt the necessity of geological survey, and their academic concern appeared in various papers they wrote. For instance, Ichitaro Ban pointed out the importance of geological survey to civil engineering in connection with route selection of Nakasendo Line. Later on the occation of boring Tanna and Kanmon tunnels, railroad engineers came to better understand the utility of geological survey. Then the Japanese Government Railways organized a Geotechnical Committee in 1930, and pioneered in the application of this technology. This paper traces the histrical development of engineering geology from Meiji era to establishment of the Geotechnical Committee in the national railways of Japan.