Japanese National Railways abbreviated Kokutetsu or "JNR", was the national railway network of Japan from 1949 to 1987. In 1949, Japanese Government Railways was reorganized into a state-owned public corporation by a directive of the U.S. General HQ in Tokyo. The new corporation enjoyed many successes, including the 1964 inauguration of high-speed Shinkansen service. Privatised in 1987 to Japan Railways Group .