As trains, rail tracks and stations were being built, towns also started to form around the stations. This is why even small modern Japanese cars cannot fit down some alleyways, because the neighborhoods were built before cars were popular in Japan. In America, towns also formed this way but after World War II, President Dwight Eisenhower created the Interstate Highway System to build highways across the United States which then boosted our car industry. Many Americans began to prefer and own cars, leading to “car culture." The car culture in America continues to grow because our country has access to domestic fossil fuels. In comparison, Japan lacks many natural resources as an island nation, so it has to constantly import them. Therefore, electric trains thrive in Japan and are constantly being developed to save government costs.
As the construction of stations gave rise to towns, it also drew in business. When you enter major train stations in Tokyo, most of them are connected underground to a major shopping mall or office building. You can often find small shops, restaurants, konbini, vending machines or food stalls that cater to the fast-paced environment and needs of many busy travelers. Shinjuku Station is the busiest station in Tokyo, and you’ll see that outside the station at night, street musicians and singers sometimes gather to perform for the people passing in and out of the station. One good thing about long underground stations is that you can avoid some rain by walking the underground paths to get closer to your destination without being on the street.
