The article is misleading, I've read the actual report in Japanese. It's not trying to built Tokyo-Osaka conveyor belt, too expensive, too close the the realm of sci-fi.

What they're trying to do is to use the current trucking between metropolitans -Japan is not eager to just "erase" jobs - then switch to the conveyor belt system connecting into the city. What' they're trying to build, are these switch hubs and the underground conveyor system.