Great, detailed story on Japan’s effort to revitalize its rail network in the mid-20th Century, from S.Y. Lee’s Substack. It’s a great example of how crucial it is for governments to support and invest in well-timed, and well-thoughtout public infrastructure projects.

Imagine a city whose suburbs have outsized the core in a span of few years. Thanks to an economic boom and a severe housing crunch, residents are increasingly pushed to the outer ring of the city. Due to an influx to the outer areas, train services quickly become outstretched to its limits. Crowds pack the trains during rush hour, leaving no wiggle room inside cars. Decades of lack of major investments exacerbate the issue. Frustrations mount at the lack of progress.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, these were predicaments ailing probably any North American metropolis. But this scenario sums up an unlikely city in an unlikely time: Tokyo in the 1960s.

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