Australia and the World Past and Present

Land acquisition was one of the major challenges in building Japan’s Shinkansen lines.

The original Tōkaidō Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka passed through one of the most densely populated and industrialised corridors in Japan. Acquiring land was therefore a significant undertaking.

Large sections of the route passed through built-up areas where homes, factories and businesses already existed.

The price of land was high. Japan’s post-war economic boom was driving up property values.

Ownership was fragmented. Negotiators often had to deal with large numbers of individual landowners.

There was also a tight construction timetable. The government wanted the line completed before the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, leaving little room for delays.

To reduce acquisition costs and minimise displacement, engineers frequently built elevated sections through urban areas and used tunnels where practical. They also followed existing railway and transport corridors where possible.

Land acquisition became more contentious on some later routes.

For example, the Narita Shinkansen project in the 1970s faced intense local opposition from farmers and residents near Narita Airport. The line was never completed.

The planned line was approximately 65 km long and would have run between Tokyo and Narita Airport, which opened in 1978.

The project was conceived in the 1960s and construction began in 1974, with the intention of having the line operating around the time the airport opened.

However, severe opposition from local residents, particularly over land acquisition, brought construction to a halt.

The project was effectively frozen in 1983 and the formal construction plan was cancelled in 1987.

The airport eventually received more conventional railway connections instead.

Extensions of the Hokuriku Shinkansen and Hokkaido Shinkansen have required lengthy negotiations with local governments, residents and environmental groups.

In densely populated metropolitan areas, obtaining land has become increasingly expensive. As a result, tunnelling is often seen as a more viable option.

Land acquisition for Shinkansen lines was a significant challenge from the beginning.