Japan Railway
Japan Railway, more commonly called JR, is a collective term for the privatized descendants of the former Japanese National Railways, formed when JNR was divided into seven parts on April 1, 1987. In Japan, a strong distinction is still made between JR and "genuine" private railways.
The seven JR companies are:
- JR Hokkaido or Hokkaido Railway Company (北海道旅客鉄道 or JR北海道)
- JR Higashi Nihon or East Japan Railway Company (東日本旅客鉄道 or JR東日本)
- JR Tokai or Central Japan Railway Company (東海旅客鉄道 or JR東海)
- JR Nishi Nihon or West Japan Railway Company (西日本旅客鉄道 or JR西日本)
- JR Shikoku or Shikoku Railway Company (四国旅客鉄道 or JR四国)
- JR Kyushu or Kyushu Railway Company (九州旅客鉄道 or JR九州)
- JR Kamotsu or Japan Freight Railway Company (日本貨物鉄道 or JR貨物)
In addition, there is JR Soken (JR総研), a research institution.
See also: Japanese National Railways, Private railroad, List of railway companies in Japan
ja:JR de:Japan Railway
Categories: Railway companies | Railway companies of Japan