I mean, to be sure Japan has institutionalized pork too[1]. They offer contracts to build retaining walls where no one lives. But damn, when they have to do something they are experts in they do it right. And given the JRs are private orgs, they can't just ask for another bond measure or other tax or more pork from the govt.

And of course it took years of planning. In the US you'd have years of "planning" [pork dealing] and then the line shut down for a year or two probably, doing things as slowly as possible.

[1]https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-japan-election-concrete/a...