The word subway often brings back unpleasant memories. Crowded trains, drug addicts,
and that gut feeling that tells you that you are not safe. That is what probably comes to your mind
when you hear that word. However, Japan's subway system is quite literally the best in the world.
One look at the Japanese subways will tell you that everything is so well-thought-out and planned
to perfection. Some might even go as far as saying that unless you are traveling in rush hours,
your subway experience in Japan might even be somewhat aesthetic.
So, what makes the Japanese subway experience so unique? Let's find out in this video.
The best thing about these subways is one of the simplest aspects out there:
punctuality. No matter what happens, you will always find that the subways in Japan are on time.
Opening google maps will not only tell you which subway you should take to get to your destination,
but it will also tell you the number of seats that should be available. If the app told you
that the train would arrive at, say, 1:33 PM. That is exactly when it is going to arrive. It won't be
1:35 PM or 1:34 PM. Despite that, if you manage to miss your train for some reason, the next one
will be there in no more than 2 to 3 minutes. That may not sound as fascinating as it is but
allow me to help you get some more perspective on that. If you are from anywhere around the world,
you probably won't mind your train getting delayed by as many as 5 minutes. Some people might not
even consider 5 minutes as a delay. However, in Japan, if your train ends up getting delayed for
as little as 5 minutes, the staff at the train station will instantly issue you a certificate.
That certificate will be proof that the reason you got late was not in your hands.
Hand that certificate to your employer, and you will not have to explain your late arrival.
Although the trains are so rarely delayed in Japan that most people have never gotten
a chance to get their hands on one. In fact, it was revealed that the delay on the average
train in Japan was as low as 0.7 minutes. That is about 42 seconds, which can happen
due to natural or uncontrollable causes. Don't get me wrong. London and New York's subways
may be larger on paper and even run through a bigger network. But the level of sophistication
achieved by Tokyo's subway cannot be found anywhere else in the world. To start with,
the entire system is completely underground, as if it did not even exist. We all know that looking
at the area alone, Japan is one of the smallest countries in the world. But you'd notice in almost
all of their ways of life that their nation has mastered the art of confining everything that is
needed in the minimum space. This means that it may have fewer stations and fewer trains,
but the system itself is so efficient that the Tokyo subway is able to transport more than
2.9 billion people in a single year. That is an incredibly large number of people moving through
such a small city. If that does not put things into perspective, maybe this will. In Tokyo, every
household only owns 0.54 cars per household on average. We see so many households in other parts
of the world with a huge number of cars which usually shows a lack of trust in the city's public
transport. Chicago, for example, has 1.12 cars per household, while the number is 1.1 cars in
San Francisco. Needless to say, the fewer cars on the streets, the more peaceful life would be.
To understand why Japan has such a sophisticated system in place, we need to go back in time
and look at the second world war. Being one of the smallest countries in size,
Japan needed to have a system that could transport people fast and efficiently. While subways in
London and New York are centrally connected, Japanese subways run throughout the city without
having to divert from its path. This is because you may need to change stations when traveling in
London or New York's subway, but all you need to do in Japan is to get on the right train,
and it will take you from there. Of course, this also helps save a lot of time as people
do not have to travel down to another platform, make their way through scores
of people to board another train, and add more to the already increasing rush.
Apart from that, there are the little things that count. For starters, the attitude and behavior of
the locals that reside on those trains matters a lot. People that you come across in Japan will
be so disciplined and well-mannered that half of your problems will begin to vanish from that very
point.everyone will respect the rules laid out, including confining to their designated places
and just being as disciplined as possible. In Tokyo's trains, there are labels on the ground
that show you where you should line up. And the locals follow these guidelines religiously. The
result? A hassle-free ride to your destination, which some might even call pleasant.
The labels on the ground will not just tell you where you need to queue up. They will also help
guide you to your destination. For instance, if you were heading to the airport, you would
actually be able to see that on the floor quite clearly. The signs are present in Japanese and
English, allowing the maximum number of people who travel there to read everything with ease.
In most countries, there is a flat fee for the ride on the subway. Now, this can become annoying
if you're looking to take a short trip. Similarly, this can cause huge debt problems
for the government that has to pay a lot of money from its pocket to keep the subways running. This
is typically a problem in South Asia and other developing countries. What they do in Japan is
that they charge based on the distance you travel. The fee is paid by swiping a refillable card,
and the fee itself is quite nominal. In each subway, there are spots that are
specially designated for women-only. These become typically useful in the morning during rush hours.
One reason that would make any woman think twice before riding a subway is the fear of getting
harassed. There is always a chance that some creep will take advantage of the rush. To prevent that,
women can choose to ride in the spots that are specially designated for them. This,
of course, helps them feel safe and brings down any incidents of harassment as well.
The seats on most subways are made out of plastic. This makes them really uncomfortable to sit on,
especially if you're traveling for more than 30 minutes. Since the entire Japanese inner-city
travel rests on these subways, the seats there are more than comfortable. You won't even realize
that you're using public transport. Apart from this, there are areas reserved for priority
seating. Priority seating means that people with disabilities or pregnant women will be prioritized
for a seat if there are too many people. The area is clearly marked with red paint on the floor,
and there are yellow-colored handles to allow the passengers to hold on to them during the ride.
This particular feature may be common in most countries, but it's implemented best in Japan.
Tourists that have used the Japanese subway have described it as a very quiet and peaceful
experience. It's not that there are strict laws out there that prevent people from eating,
drinking, talking, or playing videos on their phones. However, it's considered an unwritten rule
which people just follow out of courtesy for the other travelers. Talking loudly or being
disrespectful in any way is usually considered very rude and something that rarely happens
there. The reason Japan is able to run one of the best subways in the world lies in thorough
planning and spectacular implementation. However, if there's one more factor that
allows the system to run so efficiently, it is the people of that area who are as disciplined
and courteous as you could possibly imagine. With that being said, It brings us to the end of
today’s video.Let us know what you think about this almost flawless subway line. Hope you guys
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