Go ahead and keep dismissing them as copycats, or thieves, or snake-oil salesmen while they continue to get better and better at what they are doing. By the time you realize what is really going on, they will have already won.
> When the Shinkansen is late or early by a few seconds, it is national news.
By the way, I was on a pretty late shinkansen last year and it was not on the news. And there have been accidents, including a derailment, although the safety record is excellent overall. There are also examples of pretty bad accidents on the local Japanese trains caused by drivers taking risks in order to avoid being late. Why are you exaggerating about the competence of the Japanese rail system?
> When the Shinkansen is late or early by a few seconds, it is national news.
By the way, I was on a pretty late shinkansen last year and it was not on the news. And there have been accidents, including a derailment, although the safety record is excellent overall. There are also examples of pretty bad accidents on the local Japanese trains caused by drivers taking risks in order to avoid being late. Why are you exaggerating about the competence of the Japanese rail system?