[English/Japanese] Continuing from the previous article, I would like to introduce the public transportation system in Japan. Are trains and buses quiet in Japan? I often hear from international students that they are surprised at how quiet buses are in Japan. In Japan, it is against etiquette to talk loudly or make phone calls on the train or bus. Therefore, when you see people on the train, most of them are operating their phones or reading books. Also, you may see women dozing off because it is not only quiet but also safe. However, there is one sight that surprises foreigners, even among Japanese people who are said to have good manners. That is, there are women who wear makeup on the train. I've heard many people say that they stared at the dexterity of these women as they applied their makeup on the train. It would be interesting to look around and see what they are doing when you get on the train or bus. The hellish commuter rush Compared to people in other countries, the Japanese are a nation of people who keep their distance from each other. However, on the train during commuting, you will see scenes that make this hard to believe. In Tokyo, from about 7:30 to 9:00 in the morning, the train occupancy rate is about 180%. The boarding rate is the ratio of the number of people actually on board to the capacity. When the ratio is 100%, all the seats are occupied. When it is 180%, the train is so crowded that people standing in the train have a hard time just keeping both feet on the ground. In this crowded train, fights often break out. Everyone is irritated and it is a dangerous train. I have heard that some foreign tourists ride the train on purpose to experience this commuter rush. This is not something that I would ever recommend doing, so please do not do this. Do you ride the bus from the front? Do you ride from the back? Did you know that the way to get on a train is the same for all trains, but the way to get on a bus is different depending on the bus? Basically, buses have a front door and a back door. Some ride from the front, while others ride from the back. Also, some buses have a flat rate and you pay at the beginning, while others have different rates based on the number of bus stops you pass. The system differs from bus to bus, so when you get on a bus, ask the bus driver how to get on, or watch other people before you get on the bus. By the way, when you want to get off, listen to the announcement saying the name of the bus stop and press the button. This is the same for all buses, so don't worry. Forgotten items will be returned. What should you do if you have forgotten your luggage on the train? If you notice that you forget something right away, tell the station staff right away the train you were on and where you were sitting. If you are lucky, you may be able to get it from a station staff member at another station. If you notice it after a while, go to the Lost and Found Center. Lost-and-found centers are located at major stations, as well as the last and first stations. Tell the station staff what you lost and when you lost it there. Lost and found items taken to the Lost and Found Center may be given to the police station after a certain period of time. If you have forgotten something on the train, you can almost always find it if you take care of it as soon as possible. I hope you were able to learn about trains and buses in Japan. Our school has a dormitory on the upper floor of the building. Since you don't have to take the commuter train and you don't have to pay for the train, you can concentrate on your studies from morning. Please come and visit the dormitory. This time, as in the previous article, I introduce Japan's public transportation system. Are trains and buses quiet in Japan? I often hear from international students that they were very surprised by how quiet buses are in Japan. In Japan, speaking loudly or making phone calls on trains and buses is considered bad manners. For that reason, when you look at people on the train, most are using their smartphones or reading books. Because it is not only quiet but also safe, you may also see women dozing off. However, even among Japanese people, who are said to have good manners, there is a sight that surprises foreigners: women putting on makeup on the train. I often hear people say they found themselves staring at how skillfully these women applied makeup on the swaying train. If you ride a train or bus, try looking around to see what people are doing; it might be interesting. The hellish commuter rush Japanese people tend to keep their distance from others compared to people in other countries. Yet on commuting trains you can see scenes that make that hard to believe. In Tokyo, trains from about 7:30 to 9:00 in the morning reach an occupancy rate of around 180%. Occupancy rate shows the ratio of actual passengers to capacity. When the rate is 100%, all seats are filled. At 180%, standing passengers find it hard just to keep both feet on the floor because of the crowd. In such crowded trains, fights sometimes break out. Everyone is irritated, and the train can be dangerous. I have heard some foreign tourists deliberately ride the train to experience this commuter crush. This is something I absolutely cannot recommend, so do not do it. Do you board the bus from the front or the back? While boarding procedures are the same for all trains, they vary by bus. Buses generally have front and rear doors. Some allow boarding from the front, others from the rear. Some use a flat fare you pay when boarding, while others charge based on how many stops you pass. Because systems differ, when you board a bus ask the driver how to get on or watch how others do it. By the way, when you want to get off, listen for the announcement of the stop name and press the button. This is the same on all buses, so you can relax. Lost items are returned What should you do if you leave luggage on a train? If you notice immediately, tell station staff which train you were on and where you sat. With luck, staff at another station may recover it. If you notice later, go to the Lost and Found Center. Lost-and-found centers are at major stations and at terminal or originating stations. Tell staff what you lost and when you lost it. Items sent to the Lost and Found Center may be handed over to the police after a certain period. If you act quickly after leaving something on a train, you will almost always be able to find it. Did you learn about trains and buses in Japan? Our school has a dormitory on the upper floors of the building. You won't need to take commuter trains or pay train fares, so you can focus on studying from the morning. Please come visit the dormitory.