History of Asia

The relationship between the railway construction and the military in Japan, which embodies the wealthy soldiers

Steam-powered railways are put into practical use in England in the first half of the 19th century Since then, railroads have played a major role in the development of civilization.

On the other hand, in Japan, 1872 (Meiji 5) after the Meiji Restoration. The first railroad is already between Shimbashi and Yokohama It opened in Japan and accelerated the modernization of Japan.

Japanese railway business

The Edo period before the civilization was a time when the movement of people was restricted to some extent. In Japan after the Meiji Restoration, this movement restriction was removed and the movement of people became more active. In the early Meiji era, public transportation was rapidly improved by using this railroad and carriage.

Initially, railways in Japan were government-owned railways However, the situation remained unstable due to the Satsuma Rebellion, etc., and the national goods alone were not enough in terms of funds and time. Nippon Railway Was approved. This Nippon Railway As early as 1883, it opened a part of the current Tohoku Main Line and the Takasaki Line.

The laying of such a railway network was a national project that we wanted to achieve as soon as possible by bending the national policy that was originally set up by the government. In this way, the public and private sectors worked together to lay railroads throughout Japan, 1906 (Meiji 39) . The country is Nippon Railway Acquired 17 major private railways nationwide And merged with government-owned railway Let me do it. This will later become the Japanese National Railways and will be the basis of the current JR.

So why was the railway project the most important issue for Japan?

It was in its speed and stable transportation capacity. Not only the transportation of people, but also the goods produced at local factories could be stably transported in large quantities at one time.

Another reason was military implications.

At that time, railroads were the only way to quickly carry large quantities of soldiers and military supplies.

Military transportation by rail actually began in 1877 (Meiji 10) . Satsuma Rebellion was. The railway lines at this time are Tokyo-Yokohama, Kyoto-Kobe It was only, but it showed an efficiency that was unmatched by conventional military transportation.

Since then, railways will continue to be built all over Japan until the phenomenon of popularization of automobiles during the period of high economic growth in the Showa era. And until the end of World War II, the construction of railways often reflects the opinions of the military.

As a big example, the Yokosuka Line can be said to be a line connecting Yokosuka, the home of the Navy, and Tokyo. Therefore, Yokosuka Station is also located far from the city center, which is a remnant of the time when it was close to the base of the former Navy.

Speaking of military opinion, Tokyo-Osaka It's very interesting about the railway construction of. The route plan at that time was along the old Tokaido and along the old Nakasendo . At one point, it was decided along the old Nakasendo. It is unthinkable now, but at that time the population was not concentrated on the Tokaido side, and it seems that there was more demand for the inland route.

It is also said that the Army opposed the Tokaido route along the sea because it was susceptible to enemy bombardment. However, because it passes through a mountainous area, there are many difficult points and construction is difficult, so in 1886 (Meiji 19), it was changed to the Tokaido route.

Currently, there are military remnants on the Chuo Line of Tokyo, and it makes a big south turn from Shinjuku Station toward the city center. It is said that as a result of the Army's invitation to enter the Aoyama Parade Ground directly, a curve after Shinjuku on the Chuo Line was created.

From the above examples, it can be seen that the construction of railways in the Meiji era was closely related to the military.