What does the geography of Japan have to do with how the Japanese build layouts?
A lot, actually. Much of Japan is mountain covered. So the country s large population is packed into cities on the relatively few pieces of flat land along the coasts. Crowded cities mean real estate is expensive and most Japanese homes are much smaller than those of comparable families in the US. So space for trains is limited, which is why most modelers use N-gauge track. Space for a dedicated train room is rare, so most modelers use track they can snap together, and take apart quickly when it s time to turn the train room into the bedroom. That s why Kato invented unitrack and its plug-and-play wiring, and why many Japanese trains come in book shelf-style carry cases.
