Well I have watched the show adaptation of Shogun, which features authentic Japanese language, and enjoy the occasional Omakase (in Brooklyn), so I’d say I’m pretty qualified to comment on Japanese rail over the past sixty years.

I've managed to draw the Japan flag in middle school one time. Add me to the list of reputable sources.

I’ve read the Wikipedia article about Japan and had a friend living there. Beat that!

I grew up playing all the Mario games and wrote a dissertation on an Internet forum, so now I have a PhD in both Japanese and Italian culture!

Regardless of Cryptonomicon's utility in understanding Japan, the statement that "none of that book takes place in Japan" is not true.

You seem to be ignoring the important point: "The Pointing and Naming System".

While this protocol is not oriented toward maintaining equipment like tracks and wheels -- it does seem to be a good indicator that the Japanese deal with these systems and the safety concerns around them differently.

And their track record (pun intended) shows the result of this focus.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pointing_and_calling

> Railways in Japan use a safety system called “pointing and calling.” This method of physically pointing toward an item to be checked while vocalizing its name was invented in Japan about 100 years ago. The combination of looking, acting, speaking and hearing reduces errors by as much as about 85%.