English

On October 14, 1872, Japan’s first railway service began running between Shimbashi and Yokohama stations.

English

This year marks 150 years. In 1964, the year of the Tokyo Olympics, the Tokaido Shinkansen began running between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka stations.

English

It was the first train in the world to run at over 200 kilometers per hour and was called the “Dream Super-Express.”

Explanation

When the bullet train first went into service, people dubbed it 「夢の超特急（yume no chootokkyuu）」. The 「超（choo）」 in 「超特急（chootokkyuu）」 is a prefix meaning “super-,” and refers to trains that are even faster than express trains. We add 「超」 in front of nouns in order to emphasize that something’s beyond what is usual or standard. Let’s say it’s rush hour and the commuter trains are exceptionally packed.
We can say 「超満員（chooman-in）」, which means “overcrowded.” Another example is 「超高層ビル（chookoosoo-biru）」, which means “skyscraper.” In contemporary Japanese, 「超」 is sometimes used with adjectives as well.
We can say 「夢の（yume no）」 before a noun to express that we really want something and hope to someday attain it. So in the story 「夢の超特急」 reflects the fact that people saw the bullet train as symbolizing Japan’s postwar economic and technological recovery.

English

However, ever since roads were built and more people started using cars, ridership has decreased, and local railways have increasingly been in the red.

English

In 1987, Japanese National Railways, which had been suffering growing losses, was split into several companies and privatized.

Explanation

「赤字（akaji）」 is written with the kanji characters for “red” and “letter.” Like the English expression “in the red,” it comes from the bookkeeping practice of using red ink to show losses on financial balance sheets. If you’re earning more than you’re spending, or if a business is making a profit, we say 「黒字（kuroji）」, which literally means “black letters.”
「国鉄（kokutetsu）」 is short for 「日本国有鉄道（nihon-kokuyuu-tetsudoo）」 , or “Japanese National Railways,” a state-owned public corporation formed in 1949. 「民間が経営する（minkan ga keiee-suru）」 means “privately-run,” and is commonly shortened to 「民営（min-ee）」.

English

Throughout this history, railroads have also made use of new technologies.

English

JR Tokai has begun constructing the Linear Chuo Shinkansen, which will run between Shinagawa Station in Tokyo and Nagoya Station at 500 kilometers per hour.