#8: JR East Japan plans to use trains that run on hydrogen starting 2030

🚂 Japan’s trains are something else. Train service is incredible. Fairly smooth ride, some noise but not where you would need ear protection and always on time! ⌚

けいかく
計画
They have a plan

• You must be wondering where the verb is in the Japanese sentence and it’s actually 計画する. There are many nouns that become verbs when する is attached.
• It could also be read as 計画（が）ある, which places more emphasis on the noun than the action.

 ひがし に  ほん
JR東日本　計画
JR East Japan has a plan

• The space after JR東日本 separates it, defining it as the topic of the sentence; it’s what the rest of the sentence is about.
• It’s common to see a space or comma where the は particle would be.

　　　　  つか
JR東日本　使う計画
JR East Japan has a use plan

• Whenever you see a plain/casual/dictionary form of a verb in front of a noun, the verb or verb phrase modifies that noun. In other words, it’s giving more details!
• You can think of it as answering the question: what kind of plan?

　　　　　　   ねん
JR東日本　2030年から使う計画
JR East Japan has a use plan starting 2030

• 2030年 is in number+counter format. This counter is for years.
• It’s uncommon to hear a number without a counter if you’re specifying a number of something.
• から ends the phrase. English prepositions are Japanese postpositions.
• While から normally translates to “from,” it sounds a little awkward in English. We can say the same thing using “starting” in this case.
• You could also say “starting from the year 2030.” Depending on what you’re translating this gives a narrative quality to the wording.

　　　　  でんしゃ
JR東日本　電車を2030年から使う計画
JR East Japan plans to use (electric) trains starting 2030

• The particle を marks the noun that is being acted on by the subject/topic.
• Someone is doing something (the verb) to something (the noun).

　　　　  はし
JR東日本　走る電車を2030年から使う計画
JR East Japan plans to use trains that run starting 2030

• This sentence has two modifying phrases! One nested inside the other.
• 走る is describing 電車 since it is right in front of that noun.

　　　　  すい  そ
JR東日本　水素で走る電車を2030年から使う計画
JR East Japan plans to use trains that run on hydrogen starting 2030

で marks what is being used to do something (if the ‘what’ is a non-location noun).