Costumes and rules in public transportation in Japan

The main public transport in Japan is the train, followed by buses. As expected, the Japanese have customs and rules to follow in these places; in this article, we will see curiosities regarding these customs and rules.

Not talking on the phone in public

There are various posters and notices prohibiting phone conversations inside the train, the main reason is not to disturb others. This is quite ironic because I see groups of schoolchildren talking loudly (shouting) inside the trains. It is not a rule that everyone would obey, but most do so not only because of public disturbance, but for privacy and etiquette.

If it is not right to talk on the phone inside the train, it also means that it is not right to talk loudly with people inside the train, as it will disturb others in the same way. Remember to always keep your phone on silent; there is no problem watching or listening to music as long as you use headphones. The Japanese avoid doing things like sitting on the floor, spreading their bags, putting on makeup, sitting with their legs open or crossed, and anything else that might disturb others.

Not giving up seats to the elderly or needy

You may be impressed by the politeness of the Japanese, but when riding public transport, it is not hard to see young people sitting in seats while some elderly people stand. This is because the elderly feel uncomfortable when offered a seat. This makes them feel old, and most tend to refuse.

Another factor that causes this to happen is that the Japanese themselves feel embarrassed to offer their seat, exactly because of the thought of labeling the person as old. Some discreetly tend to leave the area and head to another train car or to the exit of the transport. The fact is that there are priority seats, so avoid sitting in them.

Not touching objects on the floor

Everyone knows about the honesty of the Japanese; I have witnessed several times lost items inside the train, but no one picks them up. This is because they leave it for the train staff to collect and take to the lost and found at the stations. You can take the item directly to lost and found, but most avoid doing so. Many feel embarrassed or imagine that others might think they are stealing the item.

Sleeping on public transport

A very common practice inside trains and public transport is Inemuri (居眠り), where the Japanese simply sleep sitting or even standing. It is very common to find people sleeping inside the trains; the amazing thing is that they manage to wake up at the right station.

Pushing in trains

When the transport is full, it is common for people to push each other to pass, exit, and enter a train. Some stations even hire staff to push people inside the trains to fit everyone. Unfortunately, some perverts take advantage of these occasions to touch where they shouldn’t. When entering a train, you should wait for others to exit to avoid bumping into each other.