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It’s pretty easy to spot the potential problem with this series of things about life in Japan.
1. The traditional way to spend New Year’s Eve is going to a temple or shrine late at night, so that you can be there as the clock strikes midnight and the new year begins.
2. In big cities, most people don’t own a car, and rely on public transportation to get around.
3. Trains and busses usually stop running around midnight, and don’t start again until sunup.
Thankfully, many rail operators make an exception to that third point and run a special schedule of extra trains in the early hours of January 1, so that people making their temple/shrine visits won’t be stranded and have to spend the night out in the winter cold. However, if you’re planning on taking the Tokyo Metro as part of your New Year’s Eve plans, you’ll probably need to find another way to get home, as the subway operator has announced that it will not be running any extra New Year’s trains this year.
From December 30 to January 3, Tokyo Metro trains will be operating under their standard weekend/holiday schedule, which generally has earlier last trains than on weekdays. So, for example, if you’re planning a New Year’s Eve visit to Tokyo’s most important temple, Sensoji, and to take the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line home from nearby Asakusa Station, your last train is going to be at 12:08, which really isn’t enough time to ring in the new year on the temple grounds and still make it onto the station platform in time to catch the last train.
This marks the second time in three years for Tokyo Metro to not run any extra trains for New Year’s Eve. In 2020 (i.e. December 31, 2019/January 1, 2020) the company was asked to refrain from doing so as part of stay-home countermeasures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, and last year Tokyo Metro added extra trains only for limited sections of its Ginza and Marunouchi Lines.
For those who are planning a late-night temple visit or party on New Year’s Eve, it’s worth noting that Tokyo Metro isn’t the only public transportation provider in the city, and rail operator JR currently plans to run extra trains. If the Tokyo Metro is your preferred, or only, way to get back to your home or hotel, though, you might need to be prepared to shell out for a cab or pull an all-nighter.
Source: Norimono News via Livedoor News via Hachima Kiko
Read more stories from SoraNews24.
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-- Japanese police request train stations in Shibuya to shut exits during New Year countdown
© SoraNews24
20 Comments
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GBR48
Couldn't one journalist have asked them why?
It's not a government Covid diktat as JR are running extra services.
So come on, Tokyo Metro, why are you treating your regular customers, the people who pay your wages, with such disdain?
Mark
"" pull an all-nighter.""
Yes sir, pull an all-nighter, get your sleeping bag, your down jacket, your wool cap, your bottle, and you will be fine.
N. Knight
Are you in an Enid Blyton time warp?
You're right though... It's just amateur night, so no need to go out
Yrral
Please come home by train on Christmas,if not by train on Christmas ,by New Years eve
Hiro
I feel for those who has to work during the holidays. Everyone deserve a day off to be with their families. I am all up for them to run less trains during new year's eve.
Stephen Chin
When Tokio's late nighters do not have transport to go home, they will sleep in the metro station. And if anything bad happens to them, Metro Tokio will be held responsible.
TokyoOldMan
Fantastic! Maybe cancel trains all together on Dec 31st and 1st Jan.
I'd really like to be able to go to the local Shrines this year without being squished into a massively long queue.
falseflagsteve
I can’t imagine anything more beastly and ghastly than celebrating the New Year with a big crowd with drunkenness everywhere. I shall celebrate at home with my partner, there may be curry and parfait involved.
Patricia Yarrow
OK, and I predict the plastic magic shielding and magic masks will be gone by springtime, to the great relief of all.
Japantime
I didn’t know people still celebrated New Years. It is a dying tradition.
thepersoniamnow
To be prevent the spread of coronavirus?
But the only reason Japan has the highest rates is because we are such responsible testers and take records correctly, unlike other places…
This is what I’ve been hearing from everyone all month lol
Spitfire
Japan should change its name to 'Killjoy Nation.'
After spending a week taking care of my daughter's dog and walking around most of the Shitamachi area I discovered hardly any happy faces,in fact the whole place looked thoroughly miserable.
The only time I heard laughter and fun was when I reached Ojima to find tons of Indian kids enjoying themselves like kids should do.Naturally,somebody had placed 'No Loitering' signs in English.
They weren't doing anything outrageous.
They were just being kids.
No extra trains on New Year's Eve is a disservice to the population of Tokyo.
It really seems like the 'grin and bear it' era is back with us because of a such a narrow-minded government who only view the populace as a source of revenue.
purple_depressed_bacon
Well that's a disservice to everyone looking to enjoy and celebrate the end of the year. How long is Japan going to use Covid as the go-to excuse to suck the fun and normalcy out of everything?
sakurasuki
While the rest of the world already back to normal, Japan just still live in 2020 while it's people keep wearing man and public gathering still discouraging while give away discount to travel.
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2022/11/19ac994b2c43-japan-govt-domestic-travel-discount-program-to-continue-next-year.html
tora
Just stay home. It's a cold and miserable time of year anyway. And keep that mask on; and sanitise those mits of yours!
/s
Yrral
A city that never sleeps,that why Japanese economy is failing, because lack of mobility, people work overnight,I assume