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In
Japan
railways are major means of passenger
transportation, especially for mass and high speed transportation
between major cities and commuter transportation in
metropolitan areas. Seven
Japan Railway companies, once state owned until 1987, cover most parts
of Japan. There also are railway services operated by private rail
companies, regional governments and companies funded by both regional
governments and private companies.
Total railways of 23,670.7 km include entirely electrified 2,893.1 km
of 1.435-m
standard gauge and 89.8 km of 1.372-m
narrow gauge, which 89.8 km of it is electrified. Half of 20,656.8 km
1.067-m gauge and 3.6 km of 31 km 0.762-m gauge are electrified (1994).
Fukuoka,
Kobe,
Kyoto,
Nagoya,
Osaka,
Sapporo,
Sendai,
Tokyo and
Yokohama have
metro systems.
Japan has 1,152,207 km of highways with 863,003 km (including 6,114 km
of expressways) paved and 289,204 km of unpaved ways (1997 est.).
Waterways are about 1,770 km; seagoing craft ply all coastal inland
seas.
Japan has 84 km of
pipelines for
crude oil, 322 km for
petroleum products, and 1,800 km for
natural gas.
22 major
seaports designated as special important ports by Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure and Transport include
Chiba,
Fushiki/Toyama,
Himeji,
Hiroshima,
Kawasaki,
Kitakyushu,
Kobe,
Kudamatsu,
Muroran,
Nagoya,
Niigata,
Osaka,
Sakai/Senpoku,
Sendai/Shiogama,
Shimizu,
Shimonoseki,
Tokyo,
Tomakomai,
Wakayama,
Yokkaichi, and
Yokohama.
Japan has 662 ships of 1,000 GRT or over, totaling 13,039,488
GRT or 18,024,969
DWT. There are 146 bulk ships, 49
cargo, 13
chemical
tankers, 16 combination bulk, 4 with combination of ore and oil, 25
container, 45
liquified gas, 9
passenger, 2 passenger and cargo combination ships, 214
petroleum tankers, 22 refrigerated cargo, 48 roll-on/roll-off, 9
short-sea passenger, and 60 vehicle carriers (1999 est.).
Major
airports include:
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New Tokyo International Airport or Narita Airport,
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Tokyo International Airport or Haneda Airport,
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Osaka International Airport or Itami Airport,
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Kansai International Airport,
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Komaki International Airport,
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Chitose International Airport near
Sapporo, and
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Fukuoka Airport. 14
heliports are estimated to exist (1999).
The National airlines are
All Nippon Airways and
Japan Airlines.
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