Abstract
Lushun Institute of Technology (LIT) and South Manchuria Technical College (SMTC) played a great role in supplying engineers for colonial government railways in Taiwan and Korea, South Manchuria Railway (SMR) , and rolling stock and locomotive companies in Dalian and Seoul. Dependent on educational organizations, such as LIT and SMTC with regard to the supply of engineers, railways within the Japanese empire were organized into an ellipse with JNR and SMR at its apex. The collaborative research activities demonstrated in the case of Conference on Rolling Stock between users and designated manufacturers able to produce high-quality products was one aspect of the “efficient” R&D adopted by a latecomer to industrialization—i.e., Imperial Japan. However, in this method of selecting qualified manufacturers, the state—the largest buyer—determined which manufacturers were candidates for optional contracts. For non-member firms excluded from collaborative research, this was the closed system of R&D activities.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsNotes
- 1.
Names of government offices responsible for national railways changed frequently until the mid Meiji period. In 1908, just after nationalization, the Tesudō-in (Agency of Railways) was established, followed by Tetsudō-shō (Ministry of Railways) in 1920. This chapter consistently uses the term “JNR” to indicate the continuity of these government offices.
- 2.
The Japanese navy brought in “entrusted students” from imperial universities every year and gave them scholarships. After graduating, they were required to undergo a year of military training and were appointed as lieutenants, called “Bukan” or “Gijutsu shikan” (naval technical officers). Graduates of universities and technical colleges who did not receive military training continued their careers as Bunkan or naval engineers.
- 3.
He returned to JNR as a chief engineer in 1955 and in March 1957 announced plans for the bullet train (Shinkansen) to link Tokyo and Osaka in three hours (Tetsudōshi Gakkai 2013, 228).
- 4.
JNR had six local railway bureaus: Sapporo in Hokkaido, Sendai, Tokyo, Nagoya, Kobe in Honshu and Moji in Kyushu from 1920.
- 5.
HP of MARUTO Testing Machine Company.
- 6.
JNR adopted a narrow gauge. Governmental railways in Korea and the SMR employed standard gauges.
References
Amano, Hiroyuki. 2012. Mantetsu tokkyū Ajia no tanjo (Advent of express “Ajia” of South Manchuria railway). Tokyo: Hara Shobō.
Chong, Chae-jong. 2008. Teikoku nihon no shokuminchi shihai to kankoku tetsudō: 1892–1945 (Coronial rule of imperial Japan and railways in Korea: 1892–1945). Tokyo: Akashi Shoten.
Chōsen Kōgyō Kyōkai. (ed.). 1939. Chōsen gijutsuka meibo (List of engineers in Korea). Chōsen Kōgyō Kyōkai: Seoul.
Chōsen Sōtokufu. (ed.). 1934. Chōsen sōtokufu oyobi shozoku kansho shokuinroku (The list of staff of Governor-General of Chôsen and its offices). Seoul: Chōsen Sōtokufu.
Gakushikai. (ed.). each year. Gakushikai shimeiroku (The list of members of gakushikai). Tokyo: Gakushikai.
HP of MARUTO Testing Machine Company (http://www.maruto-group.co.jp/menu_1/sougyousya/)
Inoue, Tadashirō. 1952. Kokutetsu no kaiko: senpai no taikendan (The recollection of JNR: experiences of seniors). Tokyo: Nihon Kokuyū Tetsudō.
Kaigun Zōsenkai Kaiin Gyōseki Kenshō Shiryō Sakusei Iinkai (ed.). 1988. Taiheiyō sensō shūketsuji niokeru zōsenkan no haichihyō (Allocation of naval officers at the end of the Pacific War). Tokyo: Kaigun Zōsenkai.
Kantōchō (Agency of Kwantung Leased Territory). 1922. Ryojun kōkadaigaku setsuritsu shuisho (Charter of establishment of Lushun Institute of Technology). Lushun: Kantōchō.
Kokura Kōjō of JNR. (ed.). 1951. 60-nen no kaiko (Recollection of 60 years). Kokura: Kokura Kōjō.
Kubota, Hiroshi. 1981. Tetsurin no kiseki: tetsudō sharyō 100-nen no ayumi (The tracks of iron wheels: one hundred year history of rolling stock). Tokyo: Taishō Shuppan.
Mantetsu Tekkenkai (ed.). 1990. Mantetsu Tetsudō Gijutsu Kenkyūsho Shi (The history of the research institute of the South Manchuria Railway). Tokyo: Mantetsu Tekkenkai.
Mikami, Atsushi. 2004. Tetsudō kyōshūjo no rekishi 2 (History of in-house training school of the JNR) In Shokugyō to senbatsu no rekishi shakaigaku (Historical sociology of vocation and screening), eds., Aya Yoshida and Teruyuki Hirota. Tokyo: Seori Shobō.
Minami Manshū Tetsudō Kabushiki Kaisha (SMR). (ed.). 1934. Shainroku (The list of staff). Dalian: Minami Manshū Tetsudō Kabushiki Kaisha.
Minami Manshū Tetsudō Kabushiki Kaisha (SMR) Tetsudō Gijutsu Kenkyūsho. (ed.). 1943. Tetsudō gijutsu kenkyūsho nenpō (Annual report of research institute of railway technology), 1942 edition. Dalian: Minami Manshū Tetsudō Kabushiki Kaisha (SMR) Tetsudō Gijutsu Kenkyūsho.
Mukasa, Kingo. 1941. Kōjō no sōgokeihatsu (Promotion of interactions among factories). In Kōjō keiei kaizen shiryō (Materials for improvement of factory management), eds., Tokyo Kōjō Konwakai. Tokyo: Tokyo Kōjō Kanwakai.
Nihon Kōgyō Kyōkai. (ed.). 1941. Sogo keihatsu (Mutual enlightenment). Tokyo: Nihon Kōgyō Kyōkai.
Nihon Kokuyū Tetsudō (JNR). (ed.). 1958. Tetsudō gijutsu hattatsushi (History of development of railway technology), vol. 4, rolling stock and machinery. Tokyo: Nihon Kokuyū Tetsudō.
Nihon Kokuyū Tetsudō (JNR). (ed.). 1972. Nihon kokuyū tetsudō 100 nen shi (A 100-year history of JNR), vol 9. Tokyo: Nihon Kokuyū Tetsudō.
Nihon Kōtsū Kyōkai. (ed.). 1972. Tetsudō senjin roku (Records of pioneers of railways). Tokyo: Nihon Kōtsū Kyōkai.
Nikkan Kōgyō Shinbunsha. (ed.). 1934. Nihon gijutsuka sōran (Directory of engineers in Japan). Tokyo: Nikkan Kōgyō Shinbunsha.
Railway Bureau of Governor-General of Korea. (ed.). 1934. Chōsen tetsudō ippan (Survey on railways in Korea). Seoul: Railway Bureau of Governor-General of Korea.
Sawai, Minoru. 2012. Kindai Nihon no kenkyū kaihatsu taisei (National innovation system in modern Japan). Nagoya: The University of Nagoya Press.
Sawai, Minoru. 2015. Teikoku Nihon no gijutsusha tachi (Engineers of imperial Japan). Tokyo: Yoshikawa Kōbunkan.
Taiwan Sōtokufu. (ed.). 1934. Taiwan Sōtokufu oyobi shozoku kansho shokuinnroku (The list of staff of Governor-General of Taiwan and its offices). Taipei: Taiwan Sōtokufu.
Takahashi, Dankichi. 2000. Shinkansen wo tsukkutta otoko: shima hideo monogatari (Man who manufactured bullet train: story of Hideo Shima). Tokyo: Shōgakukan.
Tani, Ichirō. 1982. Kenkyū kaihatsu to gakkai: kaigun kōkū tono sōgū (Research & development and academic societies: encounter naval aeronautics). In Umiwashi no kōseki: Nihon kaigun kōkū gaishi (Trails of naval aircrafts: history of Japanese naval aeronautics) ed., Kaikōkai. Tokyo: Hara Shobō.
Tetsudō Sharyō Gijitsu Kyōgikai. July 27, 1941. Dai 4 kai tetsudō sharyō gijutsu kyōgikai shussekisha shimei (Names of attendants of the fourth technical committee on rolling stock). Preserved at Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
Tetsudō Gijutsu Kenkyūsho. (ed.). 1957. 50 Nenshi (50-Year History). Tokyo: Kenyūsha.
Tetsudōshi, Gakkai. (ed.). 2013. Tetsudōshi jinbutsu jiten (Bibliography dictionary of railway history). Tokyo: Nihon Keizai Hyōronsha.
Tetsudō Daijinkanbō Jinjika (ed.). 1934 and 1941. Tetsudōshō shokuinroku (The list of staff of JNR). Tokyo: Tetsudōshō.
Tetsudō-shō Kōsakukyoku (The Bureau of Manufacturing of JNR). (ed.). 1925. Dai 4 kai sharyō kenkyūkai kiroku (The documents of the fourth conference on rolling stock). Tokyo: Tetsudōsho.
Uninscribed. 1957. Tōkaidōsen denka no omoide wo kataru zadankai (Symposium for talk of recollection of electrification of Tōkaidō line). Denki Tetsudō (Electric Railway). 11–4: 58–74.
Uninscribed. 1965. EF10・11・12・14 gata denki kikansha sekkei kaiko (Recollection on design of electric locomotives of EF10・11・12・14 types). Tetsudō Pikutoriaru (The Railway Pictorial).15–12: 16–20.
Yoshino, Shintaro. 1939. Kisha hattatsushi (Development of locomotives). Kyōwa (Concord) 251: 36–39.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Sawai, M. (2017). Railway Engineers of the Japanese Empire and the Significance of Collaborative R&D Activities. In: Sawai, M. (eds) The Development of Railway Technology in East Asia in Comparative Perspective . Studies in Economic History. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4904-0_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4904-0_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-4903-3
Online ISBN: 978-981-10-4904-0
eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)