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(1) Domestic Transport
The domestic passenger transport volume in fiscal 1987 totaled 57.26 billion
persons, up 5.0% from the previous fiscal year (hereafter the same), and 929.8
billion passenger-kilometers, up 6.2%. In an overall trend of increase, however,
bus transport saw a 2.2% decrease in the number of passengers and a 4.4% decrease
on a passenger-kilometer basis from the previous fiscal year. (Table
10)
Characteristic of passenger transport in fiscal 1987 was a sharp rise in
transport by passenger cars, particularly those owned privately.
The share of passenger-kilometers by mode of transportation in fiscal 1987
shows that private passenger cars and aircraft saw an increase, passenger boats
and commerical passenger cars almost levelled off, and others saw a decrease.
(Fig. 20)
Domestic freight transport in fiscal 1987 totaled 5.6 billion tons, up 1.7%
from the previous fiscal year (hereafter the same), the increase being the first
in seven years since fiscal 1980, and 446.5 billion ton-kilometer, up 2.6%･
(Table 11)
Characteristic of freight transport in fiscal 1987 was that aircraft saw
a sharp increase, coastal shipping turned upward, supported by increased domestic
demand, and private passenger cars also turned upward for the first time in
seven years since fiscal 1980.
The share of freight transport by mode of transportation in fiscal 1987 shows
that railways had 4.6%, down 0.1 point from the previous fiscal year (JR transport
had 4.5%, down 0.1 point), automobiles had 50.2%, up 0.5 points (commerical
automobiles had 34.7%, up 0.7 points and private automobiles had 15.7%, down
0.2 points), and coastal shipping had 45.1%o, down 0.4 points. Truck transport
fared well in fiscal 1987 as long-distance transport had become possible with
the development of high-speed motorways. As in fiscal 1986, automobiles had
a higher share than coastal shipping in fiscal 1987. (Fig.
21) (According to the Japan Highway Public Corporation, the ratio of high-speed
motorways to general roads in automobile freight transport on a ton-kilometer
basis was 34.5%, or more than a third, in fiscal 1985.)
(2) International Transport
The number of outgoing Japanese in 1987 (calendar year) totaled 6,830,000,
a sharp increase of 23.8% from the previous year, supported by the appreciation
of the yen and other factors. (The increase rate in 1986 was 11.5%.) Thus, the
six-million mark was topped for the first time history and recorded an all-time
high for six consecutive years. (Fig.
22)
The number of incoming foreigners in 1987 totaled 2,160,000, up 4.5% from the
previous year; incidentally, 1986 saw a decrease from the previous year for
first time in 15 years.
As for international freight transport terms of tonnage, exports by shipping
saw a decrease of 6.0% from the previous year, but imports saw an increase of
4.5% for the first time in two tears, supported by increases in such primary
products as lumber and chips; exports by aircraft saw an increase of 16.9% from
the previous fiscal year, and imports a sharp increase of 35.6%.
(Table 12)
Public investments in transport-related facilities in fiscal 1987 (including
those in the special accounts and fiscal investments and loans, excluding public
works expenditures in the general account, and local independent projects) totaled
\10 trillion 258 billion, an increase of 11.4% from the previous fiscal year:
the breakdown is \472.5 billion for railways (down 20. 8%), \801.9 billion for
ports and harbors (up 19.7%) and \262.5 billion for airports (up 35.3%).
According to a survey by the Ministry of Transport, private investments in
transport-related facilities in fiscal 1987 (The survey covered 3,665 firms
capitalized at \50 million or more in principle) totaled \1 trillion 539.4 billion
on a work basis, up 2.1% from the previous fiscal year.
(Table 13)
The current balance rates of transport-related businesses show that the
rolling stock manufacturing industry suffered a sharp decline; public railways,
public and private bus services remaind stagnant; long-distance ferry services
and public subways also suffered a decline; and others either levelled off or
turned upward. (Fig. 23)
As mentioned above, business conditions for transport services in fiscal
1987 showed appreciable increases in operating revenue; the revenue-expenditure
situation generally maintained a trend of improvement, supported by stable power
and oil prices, which are uncertain factors. It is hoped that transport businesses
will endeavor to reduce their operating costs, e. g. by curbing personnel expenses
which tend to be fixed, with a view to increasing their revenues in parallel
with the rapidly expanding Japanese business. It is also hoped that, paying
attention to the moves of yen rates and oil prices, which have a great effect
on power and fuel costs, transport businesses will make further efforts to increase
their operating revenues by providing consumers with a variety of services.
Recent trends in transport (April to December, 1988) show that both domestic passenger and freight transport activities continue to fare well, as in 1987, which is a reflection of strong domestic demand and other favorable reflection of strong domestic demand and other favorable factors. (Table 14)
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