The impact of railways on accessibility in the Japanese urban system

This study describes the transformation of the Japanese urban system since the beginning of modernization in 1868 (the Meiji era), with special reference to changes in the railway accessibility of cities. The integration of the Japanese urban system has been accomplished by a nation-wide expansion of railway networks. Changes in the travel time by railways show how the Japanese urban system has been unified and which cities have gained the most locational advantage within the urban system.