Examining modal shift in Japan's logistics

Abstract

Published in SOAR: Shocker Open Access Repository by the Wichita State University Libraries Technical Services, October 2025.The current Japanese distribution industry is confronting difficulties that can be divided broadly into three categories. The first include those related to the shortage of truck drivers (labor shortages). The second category includes difficulties related to the CO2 emissions of trucks (environmental load). The last are difficulties related to a rapid increase in home-delivery services caused by the growth of e-commerce markets. In response to all of these difficulties, a modal shift from trunk cargo transportation that uses trucks to railroad or maritime transportation is important. Therefore, a comparative analysis of the characteristics of intercity truck, rail and vessel transportation in the total cargo volume of Japan conducted for this study is performed from the perspective of three factors including distance, time required and fares, with discussion of effective modes of transportation (modal shift)