JR (East and West) are both publicly traded corporations. I sympathize with "governments are inefficient by nature", but I think you're a wee bit off the mark here.
I say "a wee bit" because Japan Railways was once owned by the state, and at certain industries and certain sizes in Japan it is difficult to tell where the government stops and the companies start, and vice versa. This phenomenon isn't unique to Japan -- c.f. "military industrial complex" or the security arrangements at airports.
Anyhow, both of the JRs are solid constituents of what used to be called Japan, Inc. (A derisive name in the late-80s which fell out of favor after denationalization and, probably more importantly, after Japan's economic woes caused it to drop off the radar screen of threats to American economic preeminence.)
I say "a wee bit" because Japan Railways was once owned by the state, and at certain industries and certain sizes in Japan it is difficult to tell where the government stops and the companies start, and vice versa. This phenomenon isn't unique to Japan -- c.f. "military industrial complex" or the security arrangements at airports.
Anyhow, both of the JRs are solid constituents of what used to be called Japan, Inc. (A derisive name in the late-80s which fell out of favor after denationalization and, probably more importantly, after Japan's economic woes caused it to drop off the radar screen of threats to American economic preeminence.)