The purpose of this paper is to define current trends and issues in studies of regional transportation systems in modern Japan. The author advocates the possibility of the study of modern transportation from a viewpoint of historical geography.
First, a review of the historical studies of modern transportation reveals that most of them were about railways. Therefore, this paper places great importance on railways.
The beginning of historical study of modern transportation in Japan was a compilation of the history of companies in the Meiji Era [1868-1912]. Many important studies have been done by such compilations since then. However, they were omitted in this paper for want of space, and the subject was limited to academic studies.
The historical study of modern transportation developed dramatically during the last twenty years. It was generally concerned with the following three important points:
1. Because historical studies are concerned with different transport facilities, there is no relationship between them.
2. Because most studies are concerned with the history of the circulation of commodities, other issues are not considered.
3. Studies from a broad point of view are insufficiently related to those with a narrow viewpoint.
The construction of this paper is as follows on the basis of above-mentioned issues: Issues in the historical studies of modern transportation are discussed in Chapter II. ‘The study of the regional transportation systems’on the basis of historical geography which the author proposes is introduced in Chapter III. Some important subjects in the study are pointed out in Chapter IV. The contents of this paper are summarized as follows:
First, the author gives attention to the major transport facilities of the transportation network in a region. He calls the major transportation network of marine and road transportation a ‘Marine etc type of regional transportation system’, and the network of railway transportation a ‘railway type of regional transportation system’. He considers that the changes from ‘marine etc’ to ‘railway’ appeared at the turning points between trunk transportation routes and local railways.
Second, he considers the landmark of change from ‘marine etc’ to ‘railway’ to be transport co-ordination as well as the nationalization of the railways from 1906 to 1907.
Third, he considers the regional transportation system on the basis of regional community. Attention is given to the preparation of social overhead capital and the management of transport industry in the formation of regional transportation systems.
Modern transportation is a bridge between contemporary and feudal transportation. Upon reconsidering the study of transportation in geography, attention is given to its function by the analysis of contemporary transportation. Attention is also paid to its form before the feudal age. Therefore, the author considers that the study of modern transportation in relationship to contemporary transportation using the historical geography method is important in order to maintain a balance between functional studies and formal ones.
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