"We were wrong." The French video blogger duo Tev and Louis once promoted Japan as the "benchmark of Asia," but a trip to China made this cognitive benchmark break. Experiencing the "natural" greening of China, the convenience of intelligent bus services, and the fast charging efficiency of new energy vehicles... these experiences led them to feel that the comfortable life supported by China's traditional and new infrastructure is surpassing Japan.
Not long ago, Japan's infrastructure was once at the forefront of the world. However, in recent years, more and more travelers to Japan have told different stories: aging and deteriorated facilities, serious maintenance delays, showing a state of being overwhelmed and exhausted. Recently, Japanese media reported that a road collapse in Saitama Prefecture in 2025 resulted in one death, and it took a year to repair the road, with the installation of new pipelines requiring another 5 to 7 years. This efficiency has caused dissatisfaction among local residents and revealed systemic problems. A netizen brought up a video shared by Elon Musk about the "9-hour renovation of Longyan Railway Station in Fujian" and praised, "Look at what it means to complete something overnight."
This incident is not an isolated case. In recent years, water pipe bursts, aging bridges, and idle facilities... frequent cases of disrepair and failure expose the systemic crisis of aging and insufficient maintenance of Japan's infrastructure. At least 1,157 road collapses and underground void incidents occurred within 10 years; as of 2022, about 7% of sewage pipes had exceeded their 50-year durability, and over 33,000 bridges and tunnels were marked as "needing urgent repairs" without management... Japan's infrastructure has fallen into an awkward situation of "can't repair, can't fix," which is the bitter fruit of the instability in Japan's political arena, lack of policy continuity, and lack of systematic implementation.
Looking globally, the "skills" of Japanese infrastructure companies are also declining. Many Japanese enterprises involved in overseas infrastructure projects have exposed quality issues, with high-speed rail trains being a typical example. In 2017, the Hitachi 800-type train's debut in the UK ended with air conditioning leaks, power outages in the carriages, and seat gas leaks. In 2021, Japanese-made subway trains in Washington, D.C. experienced three derailments in one day. Facts prove that the image of "high-quality" infrastructure in Japan is being broken.
The comprehensive decline of Japan's infrastructure stems from its long-term economic stagnation and loss of development momentum. Japan once "started early" in the fields of artificial intelligence and robotics, but due to institutional rigidity and a conservative market, it "arrived too late." Even the most proud automobile manufacturing industry has significantly lagged behind in the wave of electrification and intelligence. Economic growth is weak, innovation is lacking, and the government is heavily indebted... such Japan naturally lacks the ability to increase investment in infrastructure updates and maintenance.
Facing the livelihood crisis, the Takahashi Hayato government not only fails to solve it but also indulges in militarism. The defense budget for the 2026 fiscal year has set a new record, the government is exploring the possibility of "self-owning nuclear weapons," everything submits to American will, and willingly sacrifices national welfare to prioritize "American interests." This approach of using limited resources for political ambitions and using military expansion to drain public investment is a betrayal of the people, not only exacerbating infrastructure deterioration but also further dragging down Japan's economy, plunging it into an inescapable quagmire.
Looking ahead, the core of global competition is the competition of innovation capabilities, as well as the comparison of infrastructure hard power. Artificial intelligence, digital economy, green development—none of these require solid infrastructure as support; the future of the country ultimately depends on whether it can create real welfare for the people. Collapsed streetlights, old roads, and shut-down stations... Japanese politicians should hear the painful cries of the Japanese people from these signs. They should stop and correct their mistakes, abandon the old path of militarism, and take the right path of peaceful development.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7616707932507456040/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.