The were the railway lines specified by Japanese National Railways (JNR) under the 1980 to be closed. All of 83 lines were closed and substituted by buses or transferred to other railway operators between 1983 and 1990.
In 1972, when Kakuei Tanaka became the prime minister, all efforts to close the remaining lines of the 83 Deficit Lines movement were cancelled. However by the 1980s those remaining lines were relisted in the Specified local lines movement. Additionally, the effects of the 1973 oil crisis compounded the debt situation of the JNR in the form of rising fuel costs. The 1970s and 1980s also saw a rise in private automobiles and commercial aviation, leading to railroads across the country having a lower share across major modes of transport.
Article 8 of the JNR Reconstruction Act (officially the Act on Special Measures concerning Reconstruction Promotion of Management of Japanese National Railways, Act No. 111 of 1980) directed JNR to specify unprofitable lines ("specified local lines") that should be replaced by bus operations based on certain criteria set by a Cabinet Order.
However, even if Units of transportation measurement were below 4000 per day, these 51 sections which met the following requirements were exempt from being decommissioned.
JNR selected 83 lines in three phases.
Operators in parentheses succeeded the railway operation of the lines. Lines not followed by parentheses were substituted by buses.