The argument wasn’t as simple as the title lets on. Let’s start with the whole idea of giving up your seat. Of course, there’s “priority seating,” and you absolutely should give up your seat to any elderly, pregnant, baby-carrying, or injured people. Nobody’s debating that. But, this blog post talks about all seats, not just priority seating, which really puts us in quite the gray area. Do you have to give up your (regular) seat to a pregnant lady? No. Should you? Probably. Will you? Maybe not. It becomes a judgement call, and if you don’t make the right one, you’ll surely be judged by others. There are two points that the blogger (we’ll call him by his id: Kangaetakekka) makes:

1. Why I don’t always give up my seat to someone on the train.
2. Why people shouldn’t think badly about others who don’t give up their seats.

While this immediately sounds like some proper S-Class douchebaggery it actually does get a little more complicated than the two points let on. Kangaetakekka has reasons for why he feels this way, and of course many others on the intertubes had words of support and/or words of anger for all of his feels. I’d like to be able to say “oh man, what a jackass!” and then call it a day, but even I can’t bring myself to do that, at least not at 100%. I really do understand where he’s coming from. Let’s go through some of his reasoning. I’ll add my own opinions and thoughts along the way.

“Why I Don’t Give Up My Seat”

So you don’t demonize Kangaetakekka too much right of the bat, I should mention that he does give up his seat to people a lot of the time. He’s not saying that he never gives up his seat on principle, or anything like that.

もちろん、気持ちと体力に余裕のあるときは、席が空いていたって座らないこともよくある。
Of course, when I’m in a good mood and feeling strong, I will often give up my seat for people.

There you have it. Starting off with a positive note for you guys! Let’s now refocus onto how this topic came up in the first place. He didn’t just think it up out of the blue (presumably while sitting down on the train). The thought came to light when his pregnant friend was talking to him about how she was surprised at how often people don’t give up their seats for her. It made Kangaetakekka think for a moment:

友人が妊娠し、誰の目にも明らかなレベルでおなかも出ているのだが、どうやら予想していたほど席を譲ってもらえないらしい。
My friend is pregnant and her stomach is clearly big, but she hasn’t been given a seat as many times as she expected.

若くて健康だし、立っているのがとてもつらいってほどではないらしいのだが、話したことを書いてみる。
She is young and healthy so it’s not hard for her to keep standing up, but I’ll try to write about what we talked about.

Let’s analyze this. To anyone who looked, they could tell that she was pregnant. Why didn’t more people give up their seats for her? Kangaetakekka has some theories. He has three reasons for why people wouldn’t give up their seat for his friend.

1. People May Not Have Realized She Was Pregnant

While you could tell she was pregnant if you looked, not everyone would notice a pregnant girl on the train, especially if it’s crowded, I imagine.

恥ずかしながら、僕は彼女と話をするまで、電車に妊婦がいるということをそれほど想定してこなかった。
It’s embarrassing, but I’d never really considered that there could be a pregnant women on a train until she told me.

他人のお腹の大きさなんて普段あまり気にしておらず、爆乳ギャルには一瞬で気づくが、妊婦には気づかないのがむしろ一般的なんじゃないかと思う。
I don’t really care about other people’s stomachs, though I instantly notice girls with big boobs. I assume that most people don’t notice pregnant women.

Big boobs comment aside, I have to be honest with myself and agree with him. Pregnant people on the train don’t really cross my mind either. I’ll notice people with babies. I’ll notice people who are injured. I’ll definitely notice and even look out for the elderly so I can offer them my seat, because, you know, they deserve it. But, pregnant ladies are a group I don’t think of too often, especially on the train, and especially in Japan. Plus (this is my addition), wouldn’t you be worried about accidentally thinking someone’s pregnant then it turns out she wasn’t? I’m ashamed to say that I wouldn’t give up my seat for this fear alone, especially if it’s 100% obvious the lady is pregnant. If someone was obviously pregnant, and I noticed them, I’d certainly offer my seat. Chances are not great that I would notice someone though, which is brought up in point number two.

2. When You Are Sitting, You Have Less Interest In People Around You

When you sit down on a train, what’s the first thing you do? That’s right, pull out something to do. You’ve won! You’ve got a seat! It’s time to enjoy it and read some manga / catch up with your friends on LINE. What happens when you do this? You suddenly lose interest in the world around you. You notice fewer things and you simply become less aware. It’s not like it’s really your fault, at least not on purpose, but this is point number two of Kangaetakekka.

また、座っていると、立っているときよりもさらに他の客に興味がなくなる。
Second, when I am sitting, I have less interests in other people than when I am standing.

寝るか読書かスマホかみたいな状態では、目の前に大きなお腹があってもそれは気づかない。
While sleeping, reading or on my smart phone, I wouldn’t notice a big belly even if it’s right in front of me.

This, I think, is so true. Unless you’re actively looking around, these sitting-things are going to distract you from noticing someone, even if they’re right in front of you (and especially if they’re not right next to you). Plus the way that Japanese people ignore everything around them on the train is nothing short of incredible. Even if a pregnant lady’s stomach is inches from a Japanese train passenger’s face, I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t notice (or pretended not to notice) them there. It’s not that you’re being a bad person. It’s just that you don’t notice things like this once you’ve sat down. I’m guilty of this as well as I get sucked into things the moment I focus in.

3. People Put In Great Efforts To Get A Seat

This is definitely the most controversial point. Kangaetakekka is saying that he often puts in a lot of effort to get a seat, so why should he have to give it up?

他人を押し退けて空席を目指すのではなく、座りやすい駅に住み、比較的空いている電車を選んで乗っている。
I don’t push people away and get a seat, but I chose a house that’s near a station that’s easy to get seats from and choose trains that are comparatively easier to find seats on.

電車を1本見送ることもある。
I even sometimes wait for another train.

それを、なんの努力もせずにあとから乗ってきただけの人に譲るというのは、どうも癪にさわるのだ。
Therefore, after putting in all that effort, I feel irritated giving up my seat to someone who just got on the train.

You can tell this is a bit of a sensitive point for him. He puts in a lot of effort, even purposefully living near a station that will allow him to get a seat more easily, to get a seat. When you work that hard for something, and you make that kind of investment, of course you’re not going to want to give up your seat. It might not be the “correct” thing to do, but I see where he’s coming from here.

I do and have done similar things as well. Back in high school when I was living in Japan and had to ride the train every day, I knew which trains had fewer people on them. I’d shoot for those so I could get myself a seat, sometimes picking the slower trains over the express to guarantee my sitting luxury (even though it would take longer). I also knew which train cars would have less people on them, thus upping my seat-snatching-chances.

In crowded rush-hour trains, I’d search out less crowded lines to get on the train. If I didn’t get a seat, I’d constantly be on the lookout for people looking like they were about to leave. When it comes to getting a seat on a Japanese train, it’s a (very polite) dog-eat-dog-world out there, and you have to be at the top of your game if you want to be able to sit down sometimes.

So, I understand where he’s coming from. Especially if you’re in the city, it’s brutal. And, it’s not just a one-time thing. You do this five, six, maybe seven times a week, two+ times a day. You hone your craft and learn how to get a seat and you work hard for it. Then, someone who didn’t do anything for it gets your seat? Great dishonor.

But, just because I understand all too well where he’s coming from and how he’s feeling, doesn’t mean I don’t think that you shouldn’t give up your seat to someone who needs it. Plus, if you don’t give up your seat you’ll surely be judged by others, which is another one of Kangaetakekka’s worries. While most Tofugu readers probably won’t care about this whole “being judged” thing, it’s a lot like how Irish Catholics are stereotypically supposed to feel huge amounts of guilt all the time. The Japanese have that voice of their mother in their head saying “What would the neighbors think?” / “What would others think?” Especially on trains, it feels like there’s a +12 etiquette bonus that requires you to be on your best behavior. That’s why there are so many posters inside the train teaching good train manners:

So, for those of you who are quick to judge those horrible sitting people on the train, Kangaetakekka has some words for you as well. Why you gotta hate on the sitters, man?

Sitters Gotta Sit, Haters Gotta Hate

Say you’re one of the standers. Ugh, standing! You watch some punk twenty-something-year-old sit idly by as a pregnant lady stands in front of him, looking uncomfortable, in your mind about to give birth at any moment. “Wow, what a terrible person he is,” you think, not even realizing how many times you’ve probably done something very similar on accident. People are quick to judge, and usually negatively. Kangaetakekka wants you to consider that maybe that person’s not a bad person after all (though maybe they are, who knows, is it really your right to judge though?).

何が言いたいかと言うと、座っている人は、性格が悪いから座っているのではなく、座っている事情があるかもしれないということだ。
My point is, people sitting aren’t sitting on the train because they have bad personalities, there might have their own circumstances.

若いくせに座ってパズドラやってる大学生は、バイトでヘトヘトの苦学生かもしれないし、満員電車で化粧をしているOLも、毎日仕事でいびられているかもしれないのだ。
A young working university student playing “Puzzle & Dragons” could be completely exhausted from his part-time job. A female office worker putting on make-up in the train could be getting teased at work.

電車にはいろいろな背景を抱えた人が乗っており、しかもいちいち他人を観察する余裕なんてない。
There are a lot of different people with a lot of different backgrounds riding the train, and they don’t have enough room to consider other people in their mind.

This is where I start to feel like Kangaetakekka has had a previously bad experience with this which set him off to write this blog post. Maybe somebody scolded him. Maybe somebody on the train got angry at him. Whatever it was (or wasn’t), I think he does have a bit of a point. People are too quick to judge other people without really knowing anything about that person. Humans are hard wired to judge the things around them in relation to themselves. We’re all narcissists. You aren’t going to (naturally) think “oh, that person probably had a rough day, they should keep their seat.” That’s like Dalai Lama level thinking. Instead, you and I are going to think: “wth, I want your seat, and if I can’t have it, that old lady should have it instead.” Survival of the fittest, man.

Kangaetakekka ends with one final sentence:

他人には期待せず、自分が譲ったときに自分がいい気分になれればそれでいいじゃないか。
Just don’t expect it from other people. Isn’t it enough to just feel good when you do good things?

Yeah, for sure. You should do good things when you can and feel good when you do it, not having to worry about what other people think. It’d be a much better world if everyone did just this. But, I also think there’s a difference between what’s right and doing what’s right. I don’t think anyone will ever be perfect, and it’s inevitable that you’ll do something wrong and it’s inevitable that people will judge you… so to me, I just feel like everyone should try their best and not worry about who’s judging you and how. The best you can do is the best you can do, right? I think this was partly Kangaetakekka’s point as well.

Of course, a lot of the internet didn’t agree, so they took to the Twitter streets to make their opinions heard. Tweet, tweet, tweet! ♬

The Internets Respond

Finding a seat on the train is something that almost all Japanese people experience. Fighting for seats, giving up seats, and watching people with seats is all a part of daily life. So, Kangaetakekka touched on a few nerves, I think. It’s hard for someone who doesn’t ride a crowded train all the time to understand why people would be getting so upset about this. But, people did get upset. If you search for the article you can see that a decent amount of people linked to and posted their opinions on the article, both for and against the evil / reasonable Kangaetakekka.

“Not giving up your seat isn’t evil” … what a sad world.

“It’s less tiring if you give up your seat and feel that you did a good thing.”
“I try to give up my seat, because I believe it’s much cooler than someone who just complains a lot”

“If I can’t sit, I’d fall down on my way to work.”

So there you have it. Both sides of the issue, or at least one side and some opinions from me. Especially for those of you who have ridden trains a lot, how do you feel about the topic? Should people give up their spots so readily? I’m guessing there will be some varying opinions here, and I’d love to hear from them.

Either way, I hope you got some interesting insight into the lives of many Japanese people. It’s hard to ride the train. It’s also not that simple. The dance you have to dance to get… and give… a seat is stressful, but it’s one of the things you have to deal with if you’re planning to live in Japan at any point. So, things like giving up your seat can mean a lot, even if it doesn’t seem like it should to you. That being said, these are all opinions, man. Some are probably right and some are probably wrong. Many are probably neither. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t interesting. What do you think?

P.S. Here’s the desktop sized version of me being a d-bag on a train.

Nobutaro Hara the Man, the Legend

Mr. Hara is incredibly famous in the world of model trains. Everybody who’s anybody knows him. He was born in 1919 and constructed his first model train at age 13. The rest, my friends, is history. He’s spent his whole life being a successful engineer by day, and an avid model train builder and collector by night.

Over the years he’s built up an immensely impressive collection of trains and landscapes that he’s largely put together himself. Almost all of the 1/30 to 1/45 scale models were hand built entirely by Mr. Hara. There are a handful of models that he contracted out to Korean firms for the body casings, but the electronics are all his own (thanks to his engineering experience). It’s very impressive. Just check out the video below and keep in mind that this was all done by one guy.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT9xqPWjogM']

Is that not insane? I can’t imagine even putting one of these model trains together, let alone a whole city. The details and everything are just so perfect. It’s crazy. You can almost imagine that it really is a fully functioning miniature city.

The Hara Model Railway Museum

Up until now, his collection was only shown on a case by case appointment basis, so this summer marks the first time his amazing collection will be open to the general public. The Hara Model Railway Museum officially opens tomorrow (July 10th) in Yokohama, Japan. The museum is operated by property developers Mitsui Fudosan and it will be showing off 1,000 models from Mr. Hara’s expansive collection.

The head of Mitsui Fudosan’s Yokohama branch explained that the objective of the museum is to “teach people of all ages about the wonders of technology through model trains.” Now, I don’t know about you, but I think the trains themselves are only a small part of what’s so impressive about the museum. As you can see from the videos, the scenery and landscapes are just beautiful. It’s really a work of art.

Layout of the museum.

Mr. Hara’s son, Kento, explained that the joys of being a child were never far from his father’s mind and he hopes that this youthful spirit will be conveyed in the museum. I wholeheartedly believe that he has more than achieved this goal. Just look at it all. If you aren’t filled with a keen sense of childlike wonderment, then I don’t know what to tell you. Someone must have broken your childhood and the ability to marvel at really awesome hobby toys taken to the extreme.

An Inspiring Tale

If you haven’t already gathered it by now, I think all of this is pretty awesome. Nobutaro Hara is pushing 100 years old, and he’s putting his life’s work on display for all to enjoy. He’s put in decades of work, thousands of hours, and tons of love and dedication into this hobby of his. In the model train world, he has everyone’s respect and admiration and he certainly deserves every ounce of it. I’m sure Mr. Hara is a humble man, but having everyone marvel at his amazing work must make him pretty proud.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwrQiaPjpr4']

I felt really inspired while reading about Mr. Hara and his lifelong passion for model trains and all the work he’s put into this museum, even more so when I watched the videos and saw it all in action. It really is a sight to behold. It just goes to show that you’re never too old for a hobby, and if you really love something, you should pursue and dedicate yourself to it no matter what. And hey, maybe one day someone will make a museum out of it. You never know.

Were you inspired by Mr. Hara’s story? What hobby do you plan to still be enjoying when you’re 100? Do you wish you lived in Japan so you could check out this super awesome museum of his? I sure do. Share your thoughts in the comments!

[Header Image]

Via The Japan Times Online

It’s a much different story in Japan. Trains are, and have been part of the Japanese psyche for a little over a century now. In that time, trains have gone from a faster, novel form of transportation to an essential part of Japanese culture.

But it’s not just that a huge number of Japanese people ride the trains every day, but there’s also been a whole culture built around them.

Train Music

It might seem strange to associate trains with music, but in Japan that’s just the case. Nearly every train station has its own departure melody, music that plays before the imminent departure of the train, encouraging riders to board before the train leaves. (It’s something you can see at the very beginning of Koichi’s latest episode of TofuguTV.)

This is partially Japan’s ongoing effort to brand everything everywhere. Japan seems to strive to give every train station, every town, everything its own unique identity; you can see this from Japan’s many town mascots, and even branded manhole covers.

A sampling of some of Japan’s departure melodies:

But aside from the branding aspect of departure melodies, they also make riding the train really pleasant. They’re little better than elevator music or Muzak, but the melodies are very gentle and give you a definite sense of place. Each unique melody lets you know that you’re at that particular station, and not any other.

Just a few days ago, I was happy to stumble upon an online discussion about people’s favorite train melody. It’s really nice to see people taking such pride in their train stations.

It’s worlds better than what I’m used to. The train station I go to every day is just a place for me to board the train, not really anything else. And the only warning for departure is a quick recording of “the doors are closing” moments before the train leaves and I’m left to futilely sprint after it.

Train Otaku

It seems like there are otaku for everything nowadays, and trains are no exception. Train otaku, not to be confused with the famous train-riding otaku depicted in Train Man, live and breathe trains. They study up on all of the different train models, collect train-related merchandise, and go out to take pictures of trains in their natural environment.

In the new book Otaku Spaces, Patrick Galbraith interviews one such train otaku who was happy to brag about his collection of conductor uniforms and model trains.

What I found most interesting is that he reveals that there are subsets of train otaku, including “funeral otaku,” people who go to see a train before it’s retired. They ride on it, take pictures, and say their farewells before the train is made completely obsolete.

It seems like kind of a gloomy pastime, but it’s a little touching, too. These otaku come out to show appreciation for all the work that was put into designing, building, and running these trains, the culmination of effort put forth by hundreds of people.

Japan ♥ Trains

Even if you don’t take the word of train nerds or people who love train-related ditties, you don’t have to look far to find other ways Japan adores its rail system. Just take a look at last year’s award-winning commercial for a new rail line (which I wrote about last year) to see what an emotional catalyst trains can be.

Maybe one day Americans will warm up to trains as much as the Japanese have. In the meantime, I’ll just have to bear with this country’s veritable Greyhound on rails.

Header photo by ykanazawa1999

Don’t let anyone get you down or tell you otherwise because armed with these tips you’ll be the most baka gaijin Japanese railways have ever seen. Feel free to print them out and take them with you next time you visit Japan. They’ll come in handy, I’m sure.

1. Miss the Last Train

How much more baka can you get than not even getting to board the train in the first place? Many of the most prestigious baka gaijin believe that trains in Japan run 24/7 when in fact, they do not. Many train lines stop running around midnight or 1am. Missing the last train is a great way to show your baka gaijin prowess and all of your friends will be very impressed.

However, if you do end up missing the train (you silly baka gaijin, you) there are a few options. The first and less desirable option is taking a taxi which will most likely end up costing you quite a bit depending on how far you have to travel. Another option is to hang out at an internet cafe and crash there for the night. They’re relatively cheap, have entertainment as well as food and drinks, and quite a few offer amenities such as showers and laundry machines. Not bad, eh?

2. Get Belligerent

If you do make it to the train in time, it’s important to be as violent as possible to show Japan how dominant you are. If you happen to be visiting Tokyo, or another busy area of Japan, chances are it’ll be pretty congested when you get to boarding your train. This is a prime opportunity to take the baka gaijin approach of shoving Japanese women and children to the ground as you make your way to the train (like a man), grumbling and shouting all the way.

Another approach to this is to realize that the congestion is nobody’s fault and it just comes with the territory. Pushing Japanese people into the concrete might not be the best option after all. Perhaps it would be wiser to just be as courteous as possible, try not to elbow anyone in the face, and just look forward to getting off the crowded train and into some fresh air again.

3. Bring Too Much Luggage

Another surefire way to piss people off (including yourself) is to bring too much luggage onto the train. If you just flew into Japan and are all ready to get to your hotel, the best way to make everyone’s day worse is to bring all that luggage onto the train with you. You’ll get in everyone’s way, take up too much room on the train, and if you’re lucky, you might even lose a piece of luggage in the chaos. Baka gaijinity at its finest.

However, if you just can’t handle being this big of a pain in people’s rears, there are other options. If you have lots of luggage, you can always grab a taxi or make use of Japan’s awesome takkyubin services. As I mentioned before, taxis can get kind of expensive, so takkyubin become a much more attractive option. It’s what I used when I was in Japan and it was just fabulous. Takkyubin services will take your luggage from you at the airport and then deliver them to your lodgings either later that same day or some time the next. They’re like, super convenient.

4. Talk on the Phone

Okay, so you’ve boarded the train without cracking any skulls, you decided to leave your luggage in the capable hands of the takkyubin kittens, so now what can you do to exert your baka gaijinity? You talk on your phone. Loudly. On the train, you’ll be likely to see most natives using their phones to communicate by means of text. What fools! Why text when you can blather on about how all your other baka gaijin friends are writing their names in kanji? I mean, the natives probably want to hear your side of the conversation anyway, right? You are very handsome and charming, after all.

Or you could just text if you’re not baka gaijin enough. I mean, not everyone has the conviction to be the best baka gaijin they can be. Don’t worry, I’m not mad. Just disappointed.

5. Board the “Women Only” Car

If none of these other options are doing it for you, the sneakiest way to be a baka gaijin on Japanese trains (if you’re a man) is to get onto the “women only” car. Most of the time these cars are only labeled as such between certain hours of the day so make sure you board it at the most awkward and inconvenient time as possible. No one will question your manliness (or your baka gaijin-ness) ever again. Trust me.

This one is actually pretty hard to pull off since most people will let you know that you’re in line for the women’s only car before you get to board it. The best way to avoid boarding the women’s only car is to pay attention to the signs since most of the time they’ll have a short explanation of the cars in English along with the Japanese. The reason these cars exist is so women can feel safe from gropers on the trains. And remember, kids, groping is a no-no.

Be Proud. Be Baka. Be Gaijin.

And there you have it. Pretty much all you’ll ever need to know about how to act in, on, or around Japanese trains. So next time you’re in Japan, whether it be your first time or your fifty-first time, be all that you can be. Be the best damn baka gaijin this side of The Great Wall of China.** Make me proud.

So tell me, have you ever seen anyone make these faux pas in Japan before? Ever made them yourself? Leave us a story down in the comments!

**Tofugu does not advocate purposefully being a baka gaijin in Japan on a train or otherwise. Please realize that this article was written in good humor. Thank you and have a kawaii day.