The manner and rule of taking a train in Japan

This post is also available in 日本語

Main transportation in urban cities such as Tokyo and Oosaka is a train.
A train is not necessary to worry about a parking, no traffic jam, and take many people at once. Urban life cannot go well unless there is a train.

In other words, in order to live in urban cities in Japan, you must master how to take trains.
You should learn manners and rules of trains in Japan, and take a train smartly.

Manners and rules of trains in Japan, about platform.

It is important to know manners and rules of trains Japanese-specific on order to take a train smartly.
At first, we will introduce what you have to be careful in station platform.

You must wait on specified place.

Depending on what kind of a train and the number of formation, the position of which trains stop and doors would be changed. You must on specified place written in a platform.

You must be on line.

In Japan, it will be so rude to interrupt a line. You will get bad looking from everybody on a line if you do not follow an order.
Basically, we must be on line to wait for next train in a station platform.

You should walk inside a yellow line.

Have you noticed the yellow line on a platform? The yellow line is the warning tile blocks for the visually impaired. The destination that is linear projections indicates the safety inside platform. You should walk inside a line to avoid an accident when you walk on a platform.
If you walk and put your baggage on a yellow line, it could bother passage of the visually impaired. You must be very careful.

People who get off should be priority.

About taking on and getting off, people who get off should be prioritized.
People who take on a train should not stand in front of a door, stay on side, and allow people who get off to get off smoothly.
After everybody who gets off finishes, you would promptly take a train in order.

Rushing to take on a train is very dangerous!

What you must never do is to rush to take on a train. We often see even Japanese people do it, but you must never imitate it.
You could be sandwiched by a door of train. And it could cause delays of trains.

Smoking should be smoking areas.

In Japan, of course, inside trains and station platform essentially are all non-smoking.
You can smoke in only smoking area. You must be aware of it.

Manners and rules of trains in Japan, about the inside of a train.

Next thing we will introduce is manners and rules of the inside of a train.
Japanese trains often will be crowded with many people.
Especially, the congestion of Japanese trains in rush hours of urban areas seems crazy for many foreigners.
Crowded Japanese trains stress many Japanese people out.
That’s why we must keep manners and rules to take trains comfortably.

Setting a cell phone to silent mode, and talking on the phone is not allowed.

In some counties, to talking on a cell phone is ok in public transportations such as bus and train is fine, but in Japan, it is completely rude.
You should set a cell phone to silent, and not to talk on a phone.
Moreover, you should get a cell phone off near priority seats.

When talking in a train, the volume of your voice must be one tone down.

It is not prohibited to talk to someone in a train. But inside train is narrow so that when you talk to someone inside train, you must talk quietly.

To eating and drinking in a train is prohibited.

To eating and drinking in a train is prohibited essentially except bullet trains and some express trains that run long distance.
Especially, in rush hours, drinks poured in paper cups such as a coffee could be spilled so that you must not bring it to a train.
However, gums and candies are fine. But, to eat a hamburgers and rice balls in a train is not allowed.

Baggage must not be put on a seat.

You should avoid putting baggage in a seat to let many people sit on a seat.
You should put your baggage on a luggage rack or on your lap.

Be aware of people who take on and get off in front of a door.

If you take a train, you should not stop around a door, but go all way back of a train to let people behind you in.
To stand up in front of a door and never move from there is rude.
If you stand up near a door because it is very crowded, and then you cannot move, you should try to make a space for people who take on a train.

The priority seat should be given away.

The priority seat is for elderly people, handicapped, pregnant women, somebody with kids, people who are injured.
The different color of other seats and the sticker of priority seat on windows should be the indication.

If there is nobody who is the appropriate, anybody can sit on a priority seat. If someone who should sit on the priority seat takes on a train, you should let him sit on the priority seat.

However, if a regular seat is empty, Japanese people basically would avoid sitting on a priority seat. The reason is probably that it is shy to give a seat away to someone, or Japanese people do not like to get considered as cheeky by sitting on a priority seat.

But, we hope that if there is someone who needs to sit, we should give our seat away to him without any thought.

What are strollers, and wheelchairs zone?

There are some trains that keep the space for strollers and wheelchairs.
The indication is the mark of strollers and wheelchairs on floor and wall.
If there is nobody who is the appropriate, anybody can stand on this area. If someone who should be on these areas takes on a train, you should let him be on these areas.

Moreover, in terms of taking on and getting off a train with wheelchair, you can ask station attendants to support.

There are these kinds of trains in Japan.

Trains in urban areas are 8 passenger cars and 10 passenger cars of train etc. many kinds of trains are running.
In those trains, “soft air conditioned” or “for women only” are written on a door.

What is “soft air conditioned”?

In hot summer, the inside of a train that air conditioned well is so comfortable.
But, depends on people, the temperature that feel comfortable is different.
Some people feel too cold on the temperature of air conditioner in a train.
If you feel cold, you should take a passenger cars written “soft air conditioned.”
The air conditioner in that unit set up soft temperature.

“For women only”

In urban areas and crowded trains all the time, there is a train that has a passenger car for women only. It is mostly one passenger car in a train, but it will be the passenger car for woman only depending on time and days.

Trains at commute in Japan will be crowded with many people so that we cannot avoid some body parts touch by accident. Some women from different countries would feel uncomfortable that some body parts touch to men.
Women who feel uncomfortable should take a passenger car for women only.

You should ask station attendants if you have something you are not sure.

This time, we introduce manners and rules of trains in Japan.
In order to make your life in Japan comfortable, please use all information for yourself.

We have explained most of basic information.But, if you have any trouble in a station, feel free to ask station attendants.