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Over the past 35 years, the development of high-speed rail (HSR) in Japan has markedly enhanced market access and altered spatial distributional dynamics, thereby transforming the socioeconomic landscape in both urban and rural areas. This study delves into the impact of improved market access on regional disparities, with a particular focus on the shifts in population and economic activity between urban centers and their surrounding peripheral regions. We examine three key hypotheses: (1) HSR influences population dynamics, potentially leading to population decline in underdeveloped areas; (2) it affects demographic patterns, particularly in rural areas; and (3) it contributes to economic disparities, enhancing urban prosperity potentially at the expense of rural regions. Our analysis reveals pronounced effects of HSR: urban areas, exemplified by Tokyo, have seen substantial socioeconomic gains including …