Why is there left-hand traffic in Japan?

The history of transportation in Japan dates back to the 19th century, when the country opened its borders to trade and increasingly embraced Western influences. In 1872, the first Japanese railway system to run on the left was opened, as the government of the time decided to adopt the British practice of driving on the left.

At the same time, Japanese horse-drawn carriages also began to drive on the left-hand side, which spread to all road traffic. In the following decades, the left-hand traffic system was expanded throughout the island and is now part of the Japanese identity.