Trains are the Best Way to Commute in Urban Areas

IEven if you don't have a car in Japan's large cities, you will not encounter any transportation difficulties in your daily life since the railway network spans a large portion of these areas. Trains run frequently from early in the morning until late at night. Overground and subway trains arrive at and depart from stations at 2 ~ 3 minute intervals although it depends on the time of day. In addition, the insides of trains are usually very clean and air-conditioned.

In urban cities, most Japanese use trains for commuting. While commuting, passengers spend their time in many different ways. There are lots of people who read books, magazines, newspapers and comic books, and also many students who prepare for their examinations. Recently more and more people can be seen sending e-mails or enjoying music and games on their mobile phones. Announcements cautioning passengers not to make phone calls inside trains often air, as doing so can disturb other passengers.

Japanese do not talk loudly on trains partly because this might also bother others. You will see many passengers sleeping and some women putting on their make-up. Each train car has priority seats that have different colors from other seats. These seats are for the elderly, handicapped, and pregnant women to sit on. You may sit on these seats, but if you see one of the above-mentioned people coming, you should offer them the seat immediately.

Japanese trains run on time
During the morning and evening rush hours, trains are jam-packed with passengers. Since many peoples' bodies are in close contact inside the train, molesting (men touching women's bodies) often occurs. Every day an announcement is aired in trains urging passengers who see molesters or who are molested themselves to report such incidents to station staff. Nowadays, women-only coaches are included in many trains in the mornings and evenings.

Each station has a station stall, which sells newspapers, magazines, many kinds of drinks, sweets such as chocolates and candy, face masks, disposable umbrellas, and other products. Large train stations have many facilities including coin lockers, public phones, coffee shops and noodle shops. Regretfully, you can rarely find a rubbish bin inside stations since many have been removed to protect against terrorist bombings.

Japanese trains run as scheduled. If they are delayed due to an accident, many railway companies distribute a delay certificate at the station. When you hand this certificate to your company, it will normally be treated as if you had come to the office on time. If you leave your belongings on the train, station staff will keep them in their lost and found office. In Japan, there is a very good chance that lost property will be found, therefore you should promptly talk to station staff as soon as you notice you have lost something.

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