Planningxchange

In this episode of Planningxchange, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell are joined by Stephen Turner, founder of TS Japan Rail a well respected commentator on Japanese rail travel. Stephen has lived in Japan since the early 1990s and has featured on NHK World’s Japan Railway Journal and Japanology Plus. Through his work, he helps visitors craft memorable journeys across both Japan’s famous Shinkansen network and its lesser-known regional lines. Together we explore: Why Japan’s railways are unique – from punctuality down to the second to a culture of courtesy and order onboard. The role of private rail companies such as Tokyu and Hankyu in shaping entire suburbs through transit-oriented development. Rail etiquette and staff culture – women-only carriages, the quiet of commuter trains, and the formality of conductors bowing to passengers. Railway fandom and culture – from timetable collectors to station melody enthusiasts, and even the enduring nostalgia of the 1900's Railway Songs of Owada Takeki (tetsudo shoka). Ru