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A lot of the etiquette guidelines for riding trains in Japan are pretty well-known. The most famous is that the specially marked seats at the corner of the carriages are priority seats for elderly, disabled, or pregnant passengers. You’re asked to refrain from talking on your mobile phone, since Japan likes quiet, and while you can get away with bite-sized snacks or maybe a rice ball, eating anything larger than that on a commuter train is generally frowned upon.
But there’s another bit of train etiquette that the particularly polite follow, but which often gets forgotten. Imagine that you step onto a train, but all the seats are taken. If you’re going to have to stand, the place to do it is at the end of the bench seat, next to the door.
There’s a bit of empty space between the edge of the door and the start of the seats, and if you can stake out that position, you can secure a bit more personal space since the area directly in front of the door is usually the last part of the train to fill up. Being next to the door also makes it easy to get off the train when your arrive at your stop.
This is also generally the most comfortable spot to stand on the train, since you can lean against the interior wall to take some of the wight off the soles of your feet. However, sometimes people also lean their backs against the crossbar at the edge of the bench.
This becomes a problem if the person standing there is wearing a backpack or other bag slung backwards over their shoulder. As shown in these illustrations from Japanese Twitter user @ukai, basic biomechanics mean that if you’re resting your back or butt on the outside edge of the bench frame, you’re going to smack the person sitting there in the head with your bag.
“I keep getting terrorized by this when I sit at the edge of the bench (people just don’t understand),” tweeted @ukai. But while the people who keep hitting him man not understand his plight, plenty of other Twitter users do, with tens of thousands of sympathetic train and subway passengers retweeting and liking the two-panel slice of unpleasant life riding the rails.
It’s also worth pointing out that this isn’t something to be aware of only if you’re carrying a bag. If you’ve got particularly long hair, or a jacket with a sizeable hood, those can also end up draping down on the person sitting at the edge of the bench, so if you’re going to plant your feet at the prime standing spot next to the door, make sure to check your six and make sure you and your belongings aren’t spilling over the edge.
Source: Twitter/@ukai via IT Media
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- External Link
- http://en.rocketnews24.com/2017/09/15/an-often-forgotten-part-of-japanese-train-etiquette-that-we-should-all-keep-in-mind/
18 Comments
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NCIS Reruns
Japanese train etiquette is an oxymoron. Likewise for driving etiquette.
Alistair Carnell
"This is a public service announcement, on behalf of the passive-aggressive society"
gaijintraveller
"Since Japan likes quiet"? You must be joking. It is the noisiest country I have ever been too. It is not people talking on phones in the problem, it is PA system that are the problem. The endless don't-use-your-phone and other announcements on JR are much more disturbing than anyone actually using their phone. Even the countryside can be noisy with announcement telling people it is lunchtime are telling children it is time to go home or telling people in the middle of nowhere to keep their dog on a leash.
In my home country there are no silver seats, or at least there were none when I lived there. Things may have changed since I left. People have the manners to stand up and offer their seats to those in need. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say every seat was a silver seat.
goldeneagle
A simple "sumimasen" will solve the issue.
I think the existence of so many rules and written etiquette shows the lack of common sense and genuine consideration for others.
Fouxdefa
I don't ever experience trains as packed as a Tokyo commute, but when I stand I always make sure to do in the aisle, not near the doors. Less people bumping and brushing by that way and there's often more breathing room even if the areas near the doors get crowded up. I don't like the area mentioned in this article because too many people brush and squeeze by in and out the door, and I feel like I'm in the way.
Tokyo-Engr
I often wonder if all of the JT posters either dislike living in Japan or just think they are superior to the Japanese people. If I compare riding a train in the U.S. or Europe to riding a train in Japan....well....there is no comparison. The train cars are generally covered in graffiti, smell like someone urinated in the train, or are otherwise disgusting. The people are all over the place. The lack of understanding of basic manners is lacking and in the country of my citizenship (the U.S.) you have the chance of being robbed, mugged, or perhaps worse.
In the end. I like the Japanese trains.
Wakarimasen
Stupid article that bears no resemblance to the reality of the Metro.
Nan Ferra
gaijintravellerToday 08:53 am JST
Well put.....the constant bombardment of rules and "do this" , "don't do that" makes living seem more like a straitjacket!
Striker10
This does happen. If I sit there and it happens to me I gently but firmly push the offending object away. I think people usually get it. When I'm the one standing there I'm careful to not hit the person sitting down. However, I think JR trains have a better separating wall than other train lines so it's not usually a problem on JR.
Now if we could just get all the people to stop constantly sniffling and hitting people with their backpacks (because they don't take them off their back while standing in the middle of the train)...
bosphorus
I usually just ignore it because there's very little space in the train during the rush hour, and it is often impossible to keep a distance from other people, you just got squeezed and cannot move in any direction. What really bothers me to the edge of nervous breakdown is how noisy and disturbing trains and stations are - endless, repeating, super annoying and loud public announcements everywhere, ads screaming at you from every wall and a window, from TV screens and even hanging from the roof of the train, bumping on your head when you are passing by. Is this what I'm paying for?
Mirai Hayashi
THANKYOU!! I totally agree. I hate..HATE it when people lean over the bars. Its as if to say "look at my _ss! Its in your face" so damn fricken rude!!!!
fa477279
Absolutely on point gaijin. This country is such an oxymoron. The noise thing is just the tip.of it. I really do think Japanese people can't live without ambient noise of some sort consummately on in the background.
DiscoJ_2
The low risk of crime on Japanese trains is obviously a great thing, but that doesn't mean they are perfect in every other way. Services in Japan are open for criticism, same as everything else, everywhere else.
I'll also point out that the original article was written based on a tweet/gripe from a Japanese person, so bringing in other countries is doubly-unnecessary as this isn't 'just another gaijin gripe'.
Personally, I've more or less stopped sitting in that seat for this reason. I haven't had any serious issues, just some irritation at people who lean in too close (but without actually coming into contact so I don't feel justified in pushing/asking them to move).
Scrote
Some newer trains have a partition / screen at the ends of the seat rows to prevent this kind of thing.
miketd3
Does it count when an elderly stands waiting in front of an able-bodied man who is taking priority seat. An the guy pretends to be sleeping? I hope these people grow up and admit they are just shutting eyelids.
Mirai Hayashi
@Scrote
It does make it harder, but doesn't prevent it.