Japanese Culture: Part 1 - Art and Trains

Raphael, Y10

I went to the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Japanese exhibition with a friend during half term, where on a wall were three posters of the “Ukiyo-e and Etiquette on the Seibu Railway”. Ukiyo-e means woodblock painting, where you essentially hammer in lines in a block of metal or wood, and then put a piece of paper over it and paint it. The posters show etiquette one should abide to while on the railway while including Japanese Yokai. Yokai are essentially spiritual monsters, but here we again see the modern-authentic mix of culture.

Seibu Railway is not the largest railway corporation in Japan. This honor belongs solely to JR, or Japan Railways. Each city then often has their corresponding metro system operated by other corporations. This makes matters a bit more complicated than needed. Compared to London which has King’s Cross St Pancras as its central station, Tokyo’s Tokyo Station includes nearly all JR lines, but only one metro line.

It is also the JR that owns the Shinkansen, arguably the most famous thing when people think of Japanese transport. The first Shinkansen (the 0) was made just in time for the 1964 Olympics (where the first Olympic pictograms were introduced), which then represented the quick development of post-war Japan. Then came more and more new bullet trains, which included the flagship 700s serving Osaka to Tokyo. Now contrary to popular belief, there are different kinds of bullet trains. A favorite would be the 500, which took its nose, which had to be streamlined to provide a more aerodynamic shape, took its inspiration from kingfishers, and it certainly looks like something taken out of sci-fi. But it is also good to note that although the different bullet trains serve different parts of the country, the main line is structured like a tree with branches sticking out.

Some say that trains will soon fade out of existence and out of relevance. The Japanese think otherwise. They’re constructing a full maglev track from Osaka to Tokyo where it has been rumored that the train will be able to speed up to 700 km/h. Truly one day we will see trains as fast as bullets.

Alongside the speed factor, the luxury factor is also visible. They are tourists trains, constructed to include night cars, dining cars, and some even have onsen cars.

But aside from bullet trains, post-war Japan also developed in other aspects. Ramen, enjoyed now around the world, was first popularized after the war, as Americans provided wheat flour, and tried to introduce bread, but someone called Momofuku Ando decided that instead of bread, ramen stuck better to Japanese culture, and strived to create a cheap alternative that could fill bellies, and thus Instant Ramen was born. Ando fried noodles in oil, and found that by frying it, people could soak it in hot water to eat it. The original chicken flavor has now been altered to suit different populations, but the success is undeniable.

Following from our topic this week on transport and instant ramen, next week we’ll look at (finally) dining!