Quiet reminder

On the train?

Is it a train or a library? So, no talking at a respectable level amongst friends?

Come on, common sense please.

It's good ! But why is the English bigger than the Japanese ?!

Not even a whisper?

The poster, barks SILENT, a tad loud rude urgent.

Tell the people who don’t sleep at home or have any social skills to wear headphones. Public spaces are meant for communication! Besides no one makes eye contact these-days. Most people have their heads down on their phones. Speak up!

I appreciate quiet on my commute as well, but honestly this isn't a big problem I feel. Especially in the morning, 90% of people are going to the office so aren't exactly chatting with their neighbors. I wear headphones so it only bothers me if people are talking to the point where I can hear them over whatever I am listening to. Even then I can usually just move to another train car.

I have definitely experienced way worse in other countries.

Tax yen hard at work @ Metro Cultural Foundation メトロ文化財団, who dream of Pyongyang, no doubt.

Post-Covid, will they have posters inviting us to be human again? Somehow I doubt it.

It's good ! But why is the English bigger than the Japanese ?!

Don't ask, you won't like the answer.

Great picture, restrictions on talking and breathing properly.

Another thing to ignore. Talking on the train in a normal manner is not a public nuisance.

why is the English bigger than the Japanese ?!

how many Japanese would understand the word ‘silent’ ? Which explains who exactly this is directed at

Shhhhh?? - Let’s get back to simple, cordial conversations about things we see here everyday. For example: “*Most smartphones now have grids, etc to produce print-quality, well-framed photos* effortless.”

Photo Caption: “A manners poster on the wall of a subway station in Tokyo asks commuters to be silent while on the train.” - Photographer uncredited.

I wish there was a bit of quiet on the trains, instead of endless, pointless, top-volume announcements all the time. People talking, no problem. A machine telling me for the umpteenth time stuff that is obvious to everyone, no thanks.

If there was a mute button for those or a way to cut the speaker cables I'd be interested. Most of the noise does come from the incessant announcements. The guard then just repeats the automated announcements as well.

zichiToday  08:43 am JST

People are social creatures. Talking in low volume is very acceptable.

Not according to the new powers that be.

According to all the present day experts, environmentalists, social engineers, etc...

We should all be adapting ourselves to working, playing, socialising, shopping, etc...from behind our laptops and phones in the safe clean environment of our rooms.

And to push this even more, implementing, limits in restaurants, no talking while in them, now no talking in any public location that isn't 100% outside is slowly becoming the rule.

I'm not in Tokyo and hardly use trains these days, so I can't really comment on the spoken noise levels.

But generally I find Japan to be an excessively noisy country esp re announcements of all kinds.

From the ubiquitous electioneering vans to non-stop in store announcements to the local govt's loud street car messages warning us to be careful with heaters.

Putting petrol in the other day and the incessant loud advertising that spouts from each individual pump speaker, drove me to cry "shut-up", but of course it didn't.

Funny that over the years whenever I've mentioned all of this back / foreground noise, I get a little smile or vacant look.

Seems most don't register it - except on trains.

Sounds like my English class.

The trains in Japan are typically very quiet. Foreigners aka mostly North Americans, tend to speak in volumes that appear and by context are excessive. An easy comparison is to reflect upon the level of conversation on US commuter trains. Especially apparent are individuals in the US who actively gab on cellphones and broadcast those conversation throughout while speaking rather loudly.

It is quaint that foreigners find such a polite suggestion offensive to varying degrees. And those foreigners tend to be English speaking.

if you want to experience noise, get on any train in China. Apparently mobile reception is poor, as the noise levels would reach the moon.

if they give you a hard time when you chat on the train then just say you are drunk....

cause we all know in this country everything is forgiven if you are drunk!

Especially don't announce that you have Covid

Don't talk, don't show your face, don't have fun, just go to work and obey!

Just hand signals then?

More “North American” bashing @FYI 5:14pm. ?? - Did you and @RichardGallagher 1:36pm ask to see their passports ?? - There are a variety of English speakers throughout the world’s nations.

*- @RichardGallagher 1:36pm: “…Foreigners aka mostly North Americans, tend to speak in volumes that appear and by context are excessive. . .” -*

*- @FYI 5:14pm: “Very true.” -*

Yep can usually hear the Americans bumping their gums from the other end of the train.

But this poster won't do any good as most of them can't read

It's good ! But why is the English bigger than the Japanese ?!

It's nothing more than a fancy font, kind of like how people like to get Kanji tattoos without knowing the actual meaning.

Also, which preposition is it - on the train or in the train? They used both. I was taught that any vehicle you can comfortably stand up and walk around on uses the preposition, "on".

It's good ! But why is the English bigger than the Japanese ?!

Because we foreigners talk louder according to the Japanese….the sign should convey how they feel about us talking.

Shhhhhh - The Japanese *@bass4funk 9:19pm, ***AND a few other* foreign residents (@1:36, @5:14 & @6:28pm) pointing fingers at “North Americans*”, in particular, as being louder in volume or excessive. Your proposal for additional depictions would probably lead to even more racial stereotyping of foreigners, continued xenophobia and increasing Covid blame, most recently in their push to get the U.S. military out of Japan and Asia.

*- @bass4funk 9:19pm:[why is the English bigger than the Japanese ?!] - “Because we foreigners talk louder according to *the Japanese….the sign should convey how they feel about us talking” -

Just like other luxury trains, there should be Private and Public section in all regular trains.

Quiet people on one side, Noise on other side.

Don’t let anyone control you if you are grown up you know the societal rules. Be yourself and do as you please as this word is or was a feee place the last time I remember pre- covid.

personalities are free! Get on or be an emotionless zombie, your choice!

It's good ! But why is the English bigger than the Japanese ?!

Isn't it because there are foreigners who wouldn't care at all pretending not to understand Japanese?

like the guy smoking and keep spitting I bumped into yesterday

A machine telling me for the umpteenth time stuff that is obvious to everyone, no thanks.

But generally I find Japan to be an excessively noisy country esp re announcements of all kinds.

So true. And excruciating as the same loop plays over and over. Get two side by side escalators going with a safety announcement at different intervals as different riders get on and off, and its counterpoint on crack.

But that's Japan. Absurd contradictions co-existing at so many levels.

AbbeyJan. 10  08:07 am JST

It's good ! But why is the English bigger than the Japanese ?!

Maybe that's for the American Gyrenes and other English-speaking gaigins.

Still, asking for silence on a subway train, a noisy subway train. Don't make me laugh.

Beautiful !!..

Some people in the comments don't like it..

Maybe in your country, you did what you wanted, but..

This is Japan, and you have to learn to respect the rules and regulations..

Their country, their rules, plain and simple..

It's good ! But why is the English bigger than the Japanese ?!

Because some foreigners in Japan must behave well and not make so much noise..

Don't talk, don't show your face, don't have fun, just go to work and obey!

Drama, drama, drama..

Foreigners aka mostly North Americans, tend to speak in volumes that appear and by context are excessive. 

I assumed it was aimed primarily at the Irish. Thanks for clearing that up.

“I’m a foreigner living in Japan and I can’t behave like I do at home! Wah wah!”

simple safety measures to help protect your community, such as masks and distancing and this one, and seppoes lose their bowels!

So many bitter people here who lack self-control.

Still, asking for silence on a subway train, a noisy subway train. Don't make me laugh.

Apparently you’ve never taken a train in any other country.

It isn’t about the noise, it’s about not spreading more potentially virus-ridden droplets every time you open your mouth.

sleep at home! Be free outside of your home! Don’t be controlled!

I seem to be reading/reacting to this poster differently to other people???

I didn't think of it as having anything to do with noise levels but rather as an additional step we could take to prevent the spread of Covid 19. - based on articles such as the following:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/20/talking-can-spread-covid-as-much-as-coughing-says-research

So much for those who don't understand Japan

blah blah blah