On Growth Two

4. Hideo Shima

Hideo Shima was born in Osaka, Japan, on May 20, 1901. He was graduated from Tokyo University in physics in 1925. He built himself

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an extraordinary career with the Japanese railways and is considered the architect and creator of the world-famous Shin Kansen superfast, comfortable, and safe trains that link principal Japanese cities. In 1969 he became chairman of NASDA, the National Space Development Agency of Japan.

Toynbee told me he thought man's space efforts were a waste of time and money.

We often do things, as human beings, which perhaps are not of immediate common use, but, still, they might prove some day to have been particularly useful for the future of human beings on the whole.

But many still feel fortunes are wasted which could assist as a matter of priority in helping to improve living conditions of hundreds of millions of poor on this earth.

In economic terms it might be wasteful to spend hundreds of millions on space. But, at the same time, man will gather important new knowledge. After all, we must always continue to gather knowledge, even if it might appear at first glance wasteful. Only afterward, at a much later date, will we know for certain whether such space exploits have been truly worthwhile.

In June, 1973, Prime Minister Tanaka wrote: ‘Following the successful launching of four scientific satellites since February, 1970, we are about to enter the most vital phase of space activities with the scheduled launching, beginning in the fiscal year, 1975, of a series of experimental satellites preparatory to operational satellite systems.’ Please tell us about NASDA's plans.

The NASDA's program for 1974 is shown on page 25.

The British scientist Freeman Dyson, now at Princeton, believes that travel in space in the future will be cheap. He even spoke of ‘greening the galaxy,’ planting trees on comets!

I consider that science fiction. After all, if one uses the word ‘travel,’ it should be within the context of a normal economy.

In 1977 Japan will launch its first geostationary satellite.

The ECS is indeed scheduled to be launched in 1977. Its main objectives are to establish our technological capabilities for launching geostationary

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satellite	wt. approx.	orbit	launch vehicle	launch year
Engineering test Satellite-I (ETS-I)	85 kg	1000 km circular	N rocket	FY '75
Ionosphere sounding Satellite (ISS)	135 kg	1000 km circular	N rocket	FY'75
Engineering test Satellite-II (ETS-II)	130 kg	synchronous	N rocket	FY '76
Experimental Communications Satellite ECS	130 kg	stationary	N rocket	FY '77
Geostationary Meteorological Satellite	300 kg	stationary	US rocket	FY '76
Medium-capacity Communications Satelite for experimental purposes	300 kg	stationary	US rocket	FY '76
Medium-scale Broadcast Satellite for experimental purposes	300 kg	stationary	US rocket	FY '76

satellites by N rockets and to perform space communciations experiments in frequency bands of millimeters.

Japan initiated or participated in many international space experiments, but I noted that most bilateral arrangements are with the United States. What about such contracts with the Soviet Union?

At present, Japan has no bilateral arrangements with the Soviet Union such as those with the United States. The exchange of space-related information with Soviet space scientists is being made primarily by participating in international activities such as COSPAR¹ and ISTS.²

I noted that NASDA is at present developing the N rocket, a three-stage N

1 COSPAR means Committee on Space Research.

2 ISTS means Symposium on Space Technology and Science.

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launch vehicle. I understand its purpose is to assist in launching so-called engineering test satellites. Since Japan's space budget for 1973 did not exceed 140 million dollars, does this indicate that your space scientists still work entirely for peaceful uses of space exploration?

Yes, all our space scientists work entirely for the peaceful uses of space exploration.

With Japan's expertise in space would it be easy to switch to the military use of space? The defense of the Japanese islands, the sovereign air space of your country - is it entirely protected by United States ultramodern weaponry, or do the Japanese themselves handle part of these defenses?

We definitely have no plans for switching our space technology to military use.

When, in 1975, Japan's space activities will come into full swing, will you have trained a sufficient number of scientists? Is the interest among students in space exploration sufficient or increasing? The young nowadays seem more inclined to concern themselves with earthly matters - the social sciences, psychology, brain research, and so on.

The number of trained space scientists in Japan is increasing year by year. In 1975 the number may not yet be fully sufficient, but still the time may be near when the necessary requirements for a full execution of our space program will be fullfilled.

Your thoughts on the general concern of today's young students may be right, but interest in space exploration is high and is growing.

Since you are not only president of the space agency, but also the initiator of the world-famous Shin Kansen railways system, let us return to earth for a moment. On October 1, 1964, the New Tokaido Line (NTL) was opened between Tokyo and Osaka. By September, 1972, the trains had transported half a billion passengers without a single casualty. These trains reach speeds up to 210 kilometers per hour. One way you achieved this spectacular success was by separation of traffic, like making high-speed and slow-speed lanes on highways.

On the Shin Kansen line more than one hundred express trains run in both directions each day. This intense traffic of ultra high-speed trains can be realized only by unifying the speeds used on the rails. The Shin Kansen is fortunate enough to have the old Tokaido Line running practically parallel to it. This carries all the slow-running local trains as well as freight trains. The

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unification of train speeds affords a relatively simple train operation, which is the key to our safety record.

Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, I understand, is proposing to further expand your Shin Kansen bullet trains to more deserted places in your archipelago.

Like most railways in the world, the Japanese National Railways on the whole are running a deficit. In highly populated areas, of course, we are making profits, but the railways in general are losing lots of money. Where the NTL trains run now, they cover densely populated areas and are therefore usually crowded.

I know, since I took the supertrain from Tokyo to Kyoto and Kobe. It was the best train I have ever been on anywhere in the world.

Thank you. But if we do as the Prime Minister proposes, we will make no money at all in the remote areas, and the construction and maintenance of such a line would demand enormous amounts of investment and capital.

Granted, perhaps during the first years, but everyone seems to agree that Japan will need and will have during the next quarter century some one hundred new cities in these out-of-the-way areas, so the passenger and customer numbers would also go up sharply.

Yes, that is the idea Mr. Tanaka has in mind, I suppose. He says only by shortening the time-distance with the use of high-speed railways can isolated areas be given a chance to develop within the overall program of building a modern nation.

I understand that the uniqueness of your Shin Kansen system is that you used for the first time multiple unit electric trains (EMU) and no longer the traditional locomotive-hauled trains. This brings us to the subject of energy. It seems, in Europe at least, that with the decrease in gasoline, public transportation is receiving new attention. How do you see the future of Japan's public transport system, especially in relation to future energy shortages?

On the Shin Kansen line we run only EMU electric trains instead of traditional locomotive-hauled trains. By doing so we avoid the use of heavy locomotives, though electric cars are a bit heavier than the others. Thus, the maximum axle load is remarkably reduced and the total train weight is also lowered. This results in lighter construction in every respect and less

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maintenance as well as cheaper operations. On the Shin Kansen all the EMU's axles are motor operated and electrically braked - most essential for high-speed running. They are still what we call dynamic-braked at present, but regenerative service braking is under testing. Once in operation this would add considerably to the conservation of energy. The EMUs are built double-headed and run back and forth with the same ease. This feature makes the construction and operation of the railway terminals quite simple.

May I end by asking for a personal opinion? When you look back at your successful and constructive life, devoted to the well-being of your country, what are your ideas about the future - especially concerning the children now in school and at universities in Japan. How do you see their life developing in the next few decades? Are you hopeful, also for them?

Even at this time of the international oil crisis, I believe in the future of our people. Our younger generation is as bright and as diligent as their forefathers were. For some time I feared that our young people might become a bit insolent and extravagant under the unprecedented rapid growth of the GNP in Japan - which was only obtained at a very heavy social and environmental cost. But now, after being shaken out of a dream of fragile prosperity by the shock of the oil crisis, I am confident that our people, especially our youth, will wisely and courageously restore their traditonal spirit and successfully retain their goodwill among the nations.