Latest news with #JRWest
SoraNews24
5 days ago
- Business
- SoraNews24
Japanese train station building set up in just two hours with the help of 3D printing
It's a license to print train stations. Earlier this year, we reported on rial operator JR West's plans to create the world's first 3D-printed train station building. In a fitting tribute to the speed this technology affords us, the building is already completely set up at Hatsushima Station on the JR Kisei Main Line in the town of Arida, Wakayama Prefecture, as of 22 July. First, to get semantics out of the way, the building itself wasn't 3D printed; rather, a mold to pour reinforced concrete was printed. However, this technique allows more complex shapes using curves and reliefs to be formed in a small fraction of the time of conventional concrete pouring methods. Although the result is a somewhat simple-looking building, Hatsushima Station takes elegant advantage of this with a rounded roof and classical-looking trims. A slice of mikan orange made of concrete can be seen on the front, and a concrete relief of a beltfish is on the side, these being two famous foods of the region. JR West hopes to use this technology to replace a number of its aging buildings, particularly unmanned ones in rural areas such as Hatsushima Station. However, construction projects near train tracks are very difficult, and work can only be done during a six-hour window between the last and first trains of the day. Had the new station building been set up by conventional methods, it would have taken one or two months to complete. But with the help of 3D printing, the pouring could be done offsite in pieces over the course of seven days. These pieces could then be transported on four trucks to the station for assembly, which only took two hours to complete. Not only that, but about 45 minutes of that time was spent swapping out trucks, so the actual construction work was about one hour and 15 minutes in total. The new station building is 9.9 square meters (106 square feet) and has a ticket machine, ticket gate, and a bench that seats two. Osaka-based company Serendix was behind the concrete formation and is also known for its 3D printed houses. The successful creation of the new Hatsushima Station building with the help of 3D printing would suggest JR West will continue to replace its deteriorating infrastructure this way. Not only is this new method considerably cheaper and faster, but the buildings look rather nice too. Source, images: PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
The Mainichi
6 days ago
- General
- The Mainichi
Toilet survey finds gender gap in Japan's restrooms
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Women lining up for restrooms at train stations and other crowded public facilities is a common sight in Japan, while men rarely queue. Some suggest it's because women need more time, but one user of ladies' rooms has found that men actually have access to nearly twice as many toilets. Manami Momose works as an administrative scrivener in Tokyo. Frustrated by the lineups, she looked into the situation and found that the majority of facilities around Japan allocate equal space to men's and women's toilets even though the former include urinals, compact toilets that allow more loos to be packed into a given area. Momose started a survey after an experience she had in the summer of 2022 at JR Kurashiki Station in Okayama Prefecture in western Japan, which she used when traveling as a fan of the Japanese male pop quartet Junretsu. At the station, there was a queue of about five or six women standing outside the ladies' restroom. After waiting her turn, she decided to count the number of toilets posted on an information board. She was surprised to learn that there were seven toilets including urinals for men, but only four for women. For the next three years, Momose continued to investigate the "gender gap" in restrooms at public transportation and commercial facilities she visited. If there were no information boards, she enlisted the help of her husband and male friends, or asked men who were there. According to Momose, the average male-to-female ratio of toilets of the 907 locations she surveyed by late June was 1.73 times higher for men than for women. Only 5 percent of all the facilities had more toilets in ladies' rooms. When she sent out messages on X (formerly Twitter) with hashtags such as #OnlyLongLinesForWomen'sRestrooms, she received many sympathetic responses such as "Women are being forced to wait." Another commentator said, "This is not right considering the ratio of the population," referring to a recent government estimate showing females outnumbering males in Japan by 3.3 million. "Women definitely are being made to wait because of fewer toilets. There should at least be an equal number for men and women," said Momose, 60. "Women might take longer than men as they must lower and lift garments or change sanitary napkins," she continued. "But this is a human rights issue that also affects health, and it isn't natural for women to have to put up with this." When asked why there is a restroom disparity at Kurashiki Station, a JR West official said, "The number of restrooms is designed based on a comprehensive consideration of the station's size and space." A representative of a transport operator in the Tokyo metropolitan area said the company allocates the same area for men and women and installs as many toilets as possible. As a result, there are more toilets for men. "We will continue to consider the best arrangement of toilets based on passenger feedback," the representative said. Atsushi Kato, president of Japan Toilet Labo., a nonprofit which provides educational activities on toilet-related issues, commended Momose's survey for drawing attention to the issue, saying, "It is important to make the problem visible." Kato added that toilets also need easy-to-understand instructions to alleviate crowd congestion, as well as enough space for people with bulky luggage. Toilets must be improved in light of social diversity, he said, bearing in mind not only female users but the increase in visitors to Japan as well as wheelchair and stroller users. "We must incorporate diverse perspectives and improve restrooms in response to social changes," Kato said. By Akane Murakoshi
Tatler Asia
23-07-2025
- Business
- Tatler Asia
What you need to know about the world's first 3D-printed train station in Japan
Japan unveils the first-ever 3D-printed train station, offering a glimpse into the future of rural infrastructure Japan has launched the world's first 3D-printed train station building at Hatsushima Station in Arida City, Wakayama Prefecture. Constructed by JR West and printed by Osaka-based firm Serendix, the compact facility is a prototype for sustainable infrastructure. It's not a flashy tourist stop, but it is a functional test case that could reshape how rural Japan builds and maintains transport networks. Read more: 9 progressive young Japanese designers you need to know from Designart Tokyo Measuring just 10 square metres, the reinforced concrete building was printed off-site using Serendix's automated technology and assembled on location in approximately six hours. The entire installation took place during a scheduled pause in the train timetable, meaning there was no disruption to service. According to JR West, the station offers earthquake resistance comparable to that of standard reinforced-concrete houses, while also withstanding weather-related wear and tear. Although thoroughly modern in method, the station's design acknowledges local identity. Its rounded, dome-like shape subtly reflects traditional architecture, while the exterior is decorated with reliefs of mandarin oranges and beltfish—two regional specialities of Arida. This deliberate integration of technology and cultural nuance reflects JR West's goal: to modernise without erasing. The project addresses a pressing issue in Japan's railway ecosystem. Rural stations are increasingly difficult to maintain due to shrinking populations and limited budgets. By embracing 3D-printed design processes, JR West aims to reduce costs and labour while delivering durable structures that can be quickly deployed. If Hatsushima proves viable, similar buildings may appear at other small or mid-sized stations across Japan. For travellers, the significance of the 3D-printed train station is subtle but meaningful. While most passengers are unlikely to visit Hatsushima Station specifically, its construction marks a quiet shift toward more agile, sustainable infrastructure. Those using regional passes, such as the Kansai Wide Area Pass, may soon see more such innovations in rural areas.
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
India's High-Speed Rail Ambitions: The Role of Japan's Shinkansen Technology, ETInfra
Advt E5 Shinkansen in India for trial runs What the trials will test Advt E10 Shinkansen What's next for India and Japan By , ETInfra In the 1990s, a Japanese engineer stared at a kingfisher and reimagined the future of Nakatsu, an avid birdwatcher and chief engineer at JR West, was wrestling with a thorny design flaw: how to make high-speed trains quieter as they exited tunnels. The answer was in the bird's beak. Sleek and tapered, the kingfisher's bill pierced water with barely a splash—Nakatsu mimicked its shape for the nose of Japan's bullet trains, ushering in a new era of biomimetic decades later, that same spirit lives on in the ALFA-X , or Advanced Labs for Frontline Activity in rail eXperimentation—Japan's boldest prototype in high-speed rail. Built to achieve speeds of up to 400 km/h, ALFA-X goes beyond aerodynamics and noise mitigation. But the next leg of ALFA-X's journey won't run on familiar tracks. It intends to run through is set to receive two E5 trains in early September 2026, according to BusinessLine, which will be deployed for trial runs along the Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed E5 Shinkansen was named Hayabusa, which translates to "peregrine falcon" in Japanese—a bird known for its speed and agility. With the ability to run at a top speed of 320 km/h, the E5 was rolled out in 2011 in Tohoku and 2016 in Hokkaido, Rail and Kawasaki Heavy Industries manufacture the E5, equipping it with an aerodynamic shape and low-noise pantographs—a pantograph is a specially engineered overhead current collector designed to minimise the aerodynamic noise generated when high-speed trains operate at speeds above 300 km/ running on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad corridor during trials (likely) in 2026, the E5 fleet will gather operational data on pantograph performance in dusty environments, braking systems, ventilation efficiency, and seismic feedback from tunnels and viaduct segments—all of which will be useful to Japanese engineers as they refine the E10 or E10 trains are scheduled for a simultaneous rollout for passengers in 2030 in both India and Japan. 'In the spirit of strategic partnership between Japan and India, the Japanese government has agreed to introduce E10 Shinkansen trains in the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train project,' said the Indian Railways in a recent statement. According to sources known to Hindustan Times, a 508-km long corridor is being developed with Shinkansen E10 Shinkansen includes L-shaped vehicle guides for earthquake resilience, SiC-based inverters, and blower-less induction motors that cut down on energy loss. Its 'train desk' includes USB ports and power outlets, and it offers improved seating layouts and accessibility—such as wheelchair spaces with unobstructed window of July 2025, 310 km of viaducts have been completed, 15 river bridges built, and five of twelve stations finished. The 21-km undersea tunnel between BKC and Thane has achieved its first breakthrough, and the BKC station—32.5 meters underground—is being designed to support a 95-meter tower per Asahi Shimbun, a Japanese daily, Prime Minister Modi is expected to visit Japan in August, with a scheduled tour of the Miyagi Prefecture plant where the E10 prototype is being Shinkansen journey may have started with gifted trains, but it's shaping into something more than a transfer of hardware. Through climate trials, corridor construction, and development of E10, India isn't just participating in Japan's bullet train legacy—it's helping to future-proof it.
Kyodo News
20-07-2025
- General
- Kyodo News
FEATURE: Toilet survey finds gender gap in Japan's restrooms
TOKYO - Women lining up for restrooms at train stations and other crowded public facilities is a common sight in Japan, while men rarely queue. Some suggest it's because women need more time, but one user of ladies' rooms has found that men actually have access to nearly twice as many toilets. Manami Momose works as an administrative scrivener in Tokyo. Frustrated by the lineups, she looked into the situation and found that the majority of facilities around Japan allocate equal space to men's and women's toilets even though the former include urinals, compact toilets that allow more loos to be packed into a given area. Momose started a survey after an experience she had in the summer of 2022 at JR Kurashiki Station in Okayama Prefecture in western Japan, which she used when traveling as a fan of the Japanese male pop quartet Junretsu. At the station, there was a queue of about five or six women standing outside the ladies' restroom. After waiting her turn, she decided to count the number of toilets posted on an information board. She was surprised to learn that there were seven toilets including urinals for men, but only four for women. For the next three years, Momose continued to investigate the "gender gap" in restrooms at public transportation and commercial facilities she visited. If there were no information boards, she enlisted the help of her husband and male friends, or asked men who were there. According to Momose, the average male-to-female ratio of toilets of the 907 locations she surveyed by late June was 1.73 times higher for men than for women. Only 5 percent of all the facilities had more toilets in ladies' rooms. When she sent out messages on X (formerly Twitter) with hashtags such as #OnlyLongLinesForWomen'sRestrooms, she received many sympathetic responses such as "Women are being forced to wait." Another commentator said, "This is not right considering the ratio of the population," referring to a recent government estimate showing females outnumbering males in Japan by 3.3 million. "Women definitely are being made to wait because of fewer toilets. There should at least be an equal number for men and women," said Momose, 60. "Women might take longer than men as they must lower and lift garments or change sanitary napkins," she continued. "But this is a human rights issue that also affects health, and it isn't natural for women to have to put up with this." When asked why there is a restroom disparity at Kurashiki Station, a JR West official said, "The number of restrooms is designed based on a comprehensive consideration of the station's size and space." A representative of a transport operator in the Tokyo metropolitan area said the company allocates the same area for men and women and installs as many toilets as possible. As a result, there are more toilets for men. "We will continue to consider the best arrangement of toilets based on passenger feedback," the representative said. Atsushi Kato, president of Japan Toilet Labo., a nonprofit which provides educational activities on toilet-related issues, commended Momose's survey for drawing attention to the issue, saying, "It is important to make the problem visible." Kato added that toilets also need easy-to-understand instructions to alleviate crowd congestion, as well as enough space for people with bulky luggage. Toilets must be improved in light of social diversity, he said, bearing in mind not only female users but the increase in visitors to Japan as well as wheelchair and stroller users. "We must incorporate diverse perspectives and improve restrooms in response to social changes," Kato said.
