Japanese airlines have taken some market share away from bullet trains in recent years.

The order brings to 43 the number of B747-400 orders for the Japanese airline.

It was listed as a tourist destination by a Japanese airline.

And the third challenge - the one that terrifies Japanese airlines more than anything else - is the prospect of price competition.

It is the first time a Japanese airline has offered a discount fare aimed only at tourists from abroad.

And Japanese airlines have been fighting fiercely over the lucrative Chinese market.

Japanese airlines now fly to 23 Chinese cities, from barely a dozen a decade ago.

Japanese airlines have limited rights to fly beyond the United States.

Japanese airlines were among the first to raise the limit, and many other foreign carriers became concerned that by holding out they might lose business.

In 1992, Japanese airlines announced that in some circumstances they might be willing to pay more than the $75,000 limit.