Off the Rails: A Journey Through Japan

A personal look at how the country's railways reveal so much about Japanese culture and the changes in society.



Al Jazeera's Ramsey Zarifeh first travelled to Japan soon after graduation to teach English. Fascinated by the futuristic bullet trains and the country’s unique train network, he got to know Japan through its railways. He travelled on nearly every rail line and ended up writing a guide book based on these experiences.

Japan’s railway, stretching across big cities and connecting rural communities, is a window into Japanese society and culture. Nowhere else on the planet do trains run not just to the minute, but to the second. The need for speed, focus on accuracy and technological innovation are all facets of Japanese society manifest in the railway system.