Japan's railways are interesting in many different ways. Some have unique features to make the ride more enjoyable, and some focus on comfort and luxury. Railways changed Japanese lifestyles, shaping new cities and developing new cultural trends. Jap... (more)anese train fans are very passionate, and recently a lot of women have joined their ranks. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, our theme is railways. We'll look at how railways developed in Japan, and how much they mean to the Japanese people.