Rules to follow on Japanese trains 電車内のマナー
Mistakes not to make when on the train
On Japanese trains, do as the Japanese do! Here are some rules to respect while on the trains and subways in Japan so as not to offend or be thought of as an ignorant tourist. That being said, times are changing, and the Japanese themselves have recently been complaining about the inappropriate behavior of some of their fellow travelers. You'll often see signs reminding everyone of good manners while traveling... Here are some of our tips!
1. Queue to get on the train
What surprises foreign visitors when they take the metro or the train in the big cities is the fluidity of the human flow despite the crowd of passengers. This isn't a coincidence: the Japanese are famous for their politeness and discipline! But many things are done to help respect these rules of decency.
For example, the train doors are marked on the platforms, and lines are often drawn to indicate where to queue when waiting for the train. So line up behind the last person in the queue and there's no question of pushing in, or fighting to board! It should go without saying that you must let any passengers get off before boarding.
2. Take up the least space possible
It's well known that subways and Japanese suburban trains can get extremely crowded. If you experience it, here are some tips.
When you get in a car, move inside as far as possible to make room for passengers getting behind you. You might not believe it, but even if you think there is absolutely no more space available, you'll see a good dozen more people squeeze in!
If you have a backpack, remove it and hold it by hand or in front of you, close to your body. It can be difficult, but try not to touch or even make contact with your neighbor. Keep your hands to yourself.
3. Keep the noise down
Once on board, discretion is appreciated. Here too, foreigners are often very surprised by the silence that usually reigns (but not always, there are sometimes small groups of very loud friends!) in the train cars.
Talking on your cellphone is forbidden and it should be in silent mode, and even turned off near the priority seats. As for chatting, while there's no rules against it, the natural discretion of the Japanese means that they generally don't exclaim or speak too loudly in public places. So avoid yelling or shouting from one seat to another if you don't want to draw attention.
It's very rare, especially in cities, for passengers who don't know each other to speak. You may shock your neighbor if you start talking to them, especially if it's not in Japanese! That said, you can ask someone if you're lost and don't know which station to get off at, people will usually do their best to help you.
4. Don't be invasive
If you have a lot of luggage, try not to overload the floor space and keep them close to you. Japan being a safe country, you can put your bags (keeping any valuables with you) on overhead shelves or in areas at the front or rear of the carriage.
If you are seated, don't take up two seats but respect the space allocated to each passenger. There was recently a series of posters displayed asking seated men not to spread their legs too much so as not to embarrass their neighbor or to prevent anyone from sitting in the next seat!
5. Give up your seat
Despite their renowned politeness, the Japanese offer their seats on the train far less than in some other parts of the world. It's not uncommon to see young moms carrying a baby standing up without anyone offering them their seat. The same is true for pregnant women and the elderly. All cars have priority seats but often non-priority passengers will sit there and stay seated, even if someone that might need it more is standing right in front of them. It is, of course, up to you if you want to give up your seat, but it would be a great example to set and to show and above all, that you respect the priority seats!
6. Don't eat or drink
While journeys on long-distance trains, especially by Shinkansen, are an excellent opportunity to taste local specialties by way of an ekiben, the Japanese do not generally eat or drink on the metro or local intercity trains. Maybe you'll see some Japanese do it, and some might even drink beer, but this is frowned upon by the rest of the passengers.
- Related: Ekiben
7. Watch out for reserved cars
On some train lines, at peak travel times, some cars are reserved for women. Their location is indicated on the platforms in English by "Women only" signs, as well as on cars. Times of day that are reserved for ladies use are also displayed.
Some intercity and suburban trains have first class cars called the "Green Car". Be careful not to ride in these if you haven't paid the supplement fee.
- Read more: Women-only cars in trains
8. Prepare to get off
Of course, not everyone will be going to the same station, and you may struggle to get off a crowded train. If you're stuck in an aisle in the middle of a crowd and you know you're getting off at the next stop, try move forward slowly at the prior stop, to avoid having to elbow anyone or panic at the last minute to exit the train.
If you're having trouble getting through the crowd, try saying "sumimasen" ("excuse me") or "orimasu!" ("I'm getting off!").
