Japanese National Railways (日本国有鉄道 Nippon Kokuyū Tetsudō), abbreviated Kokutetsu (国鉄) or "JNR", was the national railway network of Japan from 1872 to 1987. 1872 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The term originally referred to a network of railway lines operated by nationalized companies under the control of the Railway Institute. Later, the Railway Ministry and Ministry of Transportation and Communications took over control of JNR. During World War II, many JNR lines were dismantled to supply steel for the war effort. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

In 1947, JNR was reorganized into a state-owned company by a directive of the U.S. General HQ in Tokyo. The new JNR enjoyed many successes, including the 1964 inauguration of high-speed Shinkansen service. However, the network's rapid expansion also pulled it further and further into debt as it took out huge loans to fund new capital projects. 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Long a symbol of Tokyo, the Nijubashi Bridge at the Imperial Palace. ... 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Shinkansen 0 Series at Fukuyama Station, April 2002 Shinkansen 500 Series at Kyoto Station, April 2002 300 (Left) and 700 Series Shinkansen at Tokyo Station The Shinkansen (新幹線) is a network of high speed rail lines in Japan on which the famous Bullet Trains run. ...

By 1987, JNR's debt was over ¥25 trillion ($70 billion). That year, the network was privatized by an act of the Diet of Japan, and divided into several companies collectively called the Japan Railway (JR) Group. Contemporary offspring of JNR include the East Japan Railway Company, West Japan Railway Company, and Central Japan Railway Company. 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Privatization (sometimes privatisation, denationalization, or, especially in India, disinvestment) is the process of transferring property, from public ownership to private ownership and/or transferring the management of a service or activity from the government to the private sector. ... The National Diet of Japan (国会; Kokkai) is Japans legislature. ... Japan Railway, more commonly called JR, is a collective term for the privatized descendants of the former Japanese National Railways, formed when JNR was divided into seven parts on April 1, 1987. ... Yamanote Line, Tokyo JR Yamanote Line train in Tokyo, Japan Above Yurakucho in Tokyo East Japan Railway Company (東日本旅客鉄道 Higashi-Nihon Ryokyaku Tetsudo or JR東日本; JR Higashi-Nihon) is a Japanese private railroad company, one of the seven JR companies. ... West Japan Railway Company (西日本旅客鉄道株式会社 Nishi Nihon Ryokaku Tetsudô Kabushiki Gaisha), commonly known as JR-West (JR西日本 JR Nishi Nihon), is one of JR companies in Japan that covers western Honshu. ... JR Central Towers in Nagoya The Central Japan Railway Company (東海旅客鉄道 JR Tōkai; JR 東海) is the main railway company operating in the Chubu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. ...

Timeline

October 14, 1872 - Opening ceremony at both Shimbashi (now Shiodome) and Yokohama (now Sakuragicho) October 14 is the 287th day of the year (288th in Leap years). ... 1872 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... JR Shinbashi Station Shinbashi Station (新橋駅; -eki) is a major interchange station in Tokyos Minato Ward. ... Yokohama Station, located in Yokohama City in the Kanagawa Prefecture, is centered around rail. ...

October 1, 1907 - 17 private railways taken over by the government October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in Leap years). ... 1907 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

December 20, 1914 - Opening of Tokyo Station December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Tokyo Station Tokyo Station (東京駅; -eki) is a train station located in the centre of Tokyo in the Marunouchi business district near the Imperial Palace grounds and somewhat to the north of the Ginza commercial district. ...

November 1, 1925 - Inauguration of the Yamanote Loop Line November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 1925 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Yamanote Line (山手線; Yamanote-sen) is one of Tokyos busiest and most important commuter lines. ...

December 30, 1927 - Inauguration of Tokyo subway between Asakusa and Ueno December 30 is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 1 day remaining. ... 1927 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Kaminarimon is the outer gate of the Sensoji, Asakusas famous temple. ... Ueno Station was the destination of thousands of laborers from the Tohoku region who came to Tokyo seeking employment. ...

June 1, 1949 - Japanese National Railways organized June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... 1949 is a common year starting on Saturday. ...

April 1, 1987 - Kokutetsu (Lit. Japanese National Railways; 国鉄 or 日本国有鉄道) was privatized and split into 11 companies. April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External link

• Japan Railways Technical Research Institute: Brief history of Japanese railways (http://www.rtri.or.jp/japanrail/JapanRail_E.html)