Getting Around Town

What makes riding Japan’s trains a special experience is that everyone follows “public train etiquette." This also happens to be an issue for people visiting Japan for the first time because while it is very ingrained in Japanese culture, it feels like an unspoken rule to many unfamiliar foreigners. Here are some of the general “rules”:

• No loud talking, and just whisper quietly to your friend if you must. Talking on the phone is seriously frowned upon.
• Do not listen to music loudly. You must be mindful of whether the person sitting next to you can hear the music while you’re using headphones.
• No eating or drinking on the train. Crumbs and trash will attract rats and insects.
• If you have a backpack or shopping bag, place it between your feet when sitting or hold it by your legs when standing.
• When lining up for the train, wait in the designate areas.
• When boarding the train, wait to let passengers off before you board.
• In Tokyo, while riding the escalator stand to the left to let others in a hurry to pass on the right. 

I’ll let you in on a Japanese slang phrase: have you heard of “K.Y.”? “K.Y.” stands for the phrase “kuuki yomenai” which means “[a person that] can’t read the atmosphere”. If you don’t follow the public train etiquette, Japanese people will disapprovingly stare at you and think you are a K.Y., a “rude obnoxious selfish foreigner”. As I mentioned earlier, “not inconveniencing others” is a form of upmost politeness and appropriate behavior in Japan and it includes trying your best not to disturb others on the train.

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