Christopher P. Hood > Quotes

“Although the book considers the cause of the crash, this study is much more concerned with the human side of the tragedy and what can be learnt about Japanese society from looking at the responses to it. It is for that reason that the names of the crew and passengers are listed in the footer of pages of the book. This study is not about a lifeless mixture of metal and other man-made objects falling out of the sky, but about real people.”
― Christopher P. Hood, Dealing with Disaster in Japan: Responses to the Flight JL123 Crash

“Even in 1963, only a year before opening, the director-general of the Construction Department of JNR, stated to new JNR employees: The Tokaido Shinkansen is the height of madness. As the gauge of the Tokaido Shinkansen is different from existing lines, track sharing is not possible. Even if the journey time between Tokyo and Osaka is shortened, passengers have to change trains at Osaka in order to travel further west. A railway system which lacks smooth connections and networks with other lines is meaningless and destined to fail.”
― Christopher P. Hood, Shinkansen: From Bullet Train to Symbol of Modern Japan