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(1) Passenger transport
The number of Japanese who left Japan to travel abroad during 1984 totaled
4,659,000, an increase of 10.0% over the previous year, and a double-digit increase
for the first time since the second oil crisis. It was an all-time high for
two consecutive years. Their main destinations were the United States and the
Asian region. The ratio of women has been rising gradually for the past 10 years.
The number of foreigners who visited Japan during 1984 totaled 2,110,000,
an increase of 7.2% over the previous year, reaching the 2-million level for
the first time. They came mostly from the United States, Taiwan and the Republic
of Korea. (Fig. 23)
(2) Freight transport
Japan's maritime trade volume in 1984 (on a tonnage basis) registered an
increase of 8.3% over the previous year, which was the first in 5 years. Since
the world economy continued to be on a keynote of recovery, the volume of exports
totaled 83,970,000 tons, a 1.0% increase over the previous year. All items except
cement showed increases. Particularly, machinery and steel made substantial
contributions to these increases. As a result of the domestic business recovery,
the volume of imports totaled 599,110,000 tons, a 9.5% increase over the previous
year. The increase was the first in 5 years. Iron ore, coal, oils and machinery
showed large increases. (Table 2)
Against the backdrop of international business recovery, the volume of freight
transported by Japanese and foreign air companies in 1984 totaled 440,000 tons
in export, an increase of 6.4%, and $18.8 billion, an increase of 20.5%, over
the previous year. (Table 3)
Machinery and equipment, particularly semiconductors, and communication equipment
showed large increases on a dollar basis. The volume of freight transported
by Japanese and foreign air companies in 1984 totaled 360,000 tons in import,
a 9.9% increase, and $17.1 billion, a 14.1% increase, over the previous year.
Office equipment, chemical products and semiconductors showed large increases
on a dollar basis.
The share of air freight in Japan's trade in 1984 was 11.8% on a dollar basis,
compared with the previous year's 10.8%.
(1) Passenger transport
Domestic passenger transport in fiscal 1984 totaled 52,980,000,000 passengers,
an increase of 0.8% over the previous fiscal year, and 832.3 billion passenger
kilometers, an increase of 1.3%. Both rates of increase, however, showed decreases
from those of the previous fiscal year (1.1% and 2.2%).
Passenger transport in fiscal 1984 had the following features: 1) despite
raises in fare, the JNR's passenger transport increased over the previous fiscal
year for two consecutive years; 2) air transport business recovered on a full
scale; and 3) the rate of increase in private car transport declined. (Table
4)
The shares of domestic passenger-kilometers by mode of transportation were
as follows; passenger cars for private use (42.1%) and air transport (4.0%)
increased their shares; the JNR (23.3%) and buses (12.4%) declined; and private
railways (15.6%), passenger cars for commercial use (1.9%) and passenger boats
(0.7%) Leveled off. (Fig. 24)
(2) Freight transport
Domestic freight transport in fiscal 1984 showed the following trends: In
terms of tonnage, the volume totaled 5,672,640,000 tons, a 0.2% decrease from
the previous fiscal year. Although it decreased for 4 consecutive years, the
rate of decrease was smaller than that of the previous fiscal year (1.1%). In
terms of tonnage-kilometers, it totaled 434.6 billion, a 2.9% increase over
the previous fiscal year, increasing for two consecutive years. The rate of
increase was larger than that of the previous fiscal year (1.3%).
Domestic freight transport in fiscal 1984 had the following features; 1)
coastal shipping rised at a higher rate than that of fiscal 1983 in which it
turned upward for the first time in 4 years; 2) air transport continued to rise
sharply; and 3) the JNR continued a sharp decline. (Table
5)
The shares of domestic tonnage-kilometers by mode of transportation were
as follows; while the JNR (5.2%) and passenger cars for private use (15.8%)
declined, passenger cars for commercial use (30.4%) and coastal shipping (48.3%)
increased their shares. (Fig. 25)
The share of coastal shipping increased for the first time in 7 years.
(1) Public investments
Public investments in transport-related facilities in fiscal 1984 totaled
\8 trillion 438.4 billion, a 1.6% decrease from the previous fiscal year (Table
6)
(2) Private investments in facilities and equipment
Investments in facilities and equipment made during fiscal 1984 by private
transport companies (those capitalized at \50 million or more, in principle)
totaled \1 trillion 375.5 billion (on a construction work basis), a nominal
increase of 0.2% over the previous fiscal year. (Table
7)
Let us see business conditions for the transport industry in fiscal 1984. The domestic economy expanded for two consecutive years and continued steady growth. As a result, demands for transport grew for two consecutive years on a tonnage-kilometer basis. Although the rate of increase slowed down, passenger transport continued expanding. Since fuel costs remain stable, many firms showed signs of recovery, although it was not uniform. (Fig. 26)
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