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From Spitting to Sh*ting: China’s Ten Worst Subway Manners
In any country there are both written and unwritten rules of etiquette that people are expected to follow while riding the subway. In many cases, these rules reflect some of the more unflattering...
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High-Speed Chocolate: A Look at the New Shinkansen Kit Kat and Other Cool...
Japan gets all the cool Kit Kats. Since 2000, Nestlé has introduced over 200 flavors and varieties of the chocolate bar to Japan, from chestnut and espresso to baked corn and soy sauce. Some flavors...
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Japanese Winter Luxury at its Finest: The Kotatsu Train
Nothing says winter in Japan like the kotatsu, a low wooden table frame covered by a heavy blanket, upon which a table top sits. Built in underneath is a heat source, either electric or charcoal....
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Japan’s Trains: Bringing Joy (and Anger) to Millions Every Single Day
By now we’ve all either heard stories of their efficiency or ridden them in person, but Japanese trains remain something of a source of amazement to many tourists visiting the country. They’re so...
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Make Tracks to Tokyo’s Train Bars
There are train hobbyists and then there are train hobbyists. Japan’s particular breed of railway aficionados are referred to by the somewhat-affectionate term densha otaku, or train nerds, and are...
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Train Life: A Stunning Collection of Photographs Depicting the Backbone of...
Tokyo’s rail network is not just a means of getting from A to B; it’s the very heart and soul of the city. With more than 40 million people taking the train each day, it’s little wonder that during...
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Japan’s ‘Women Only’ Train Cars: Is it a Crime for Men to Ride?
Women-only cars on Japan’s railways have existed in some form or other for more than 50 years, with “hana densha” (lit. “flower train”) carriages originally being introduced as a way of keeping female...
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New Rising Barrier System for Japan’s Stations
A new barrier that rises and falls with trains’ arrival and departure is due to be trialed at a busy commuter station this year, a report from Japan’s IT Media has said. Made from a series of long,...
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A Rare Sight in Japan: Commuter Train Operates while Carriage Doors Remain Open
Commuter trains in Japan are known for being among the most punctual in the world. The entire rail system is a well-oil machine. When a train is scheduled to depart its station at 09:42 and arrive at...
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Ninja travel tips: See Japan by rail without breaking the bank
Ever wanted to cross Japan by rail but hate the idea of being stuck on the train, watching the scenery flash by without ever being able to get out and experience it? Today we’re going to let you in on...
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The Tecchan house: where your train collection can lower your rent!
Hey, do you like trains? And I don’t mean in a “that’s a long train, let’s count the cars” kind of way; I mean like going out and taking hundreds of pictures and traveling hours to see rare...
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New train carriages on Tokyo’s Saikyo Line allow more sardines to be squeezed...
Bringing commuters to Tokyo from neighboring Saitama Prefecture, the Saikyo Line, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East), is one of the busiest in the metropolitan area. During morning...
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Transit authorities offer commuters in Singapore free off-peak fares in...
Japan is of course not the only country that experiences crowded trains and subways during rush hour. Over the last 10 years Singapore’s population has increased by 30 percent, putting pressure on its...
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Riding the B Line in Argentina? Better bring a Japanese dictionary
There’s apparently a running joke in Beunos Aires, Argentina, that if you’re planning on riding the subway’s B Line, you’d better bring a Japanese dictionary. No, Argentines don’t have a bizarre and...
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Switching to manner mode: The importance of social etiquette in urban Japan
Ask someone to describe the Japanese people in ten words or fewer and more often than not ‘polite’ or ‘reserved’ will appear somewhere in the mix. Japan is known the world over as a safe, pleasant...
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Woman gets trapped between train and platform, fellow commuters push to...
It’s Monday, which is the worst way to start the week, isn’t it? So, how about some heart-warming news to get things going? Let’s see, what have we got… oh, yes, a story about how, while deboarding a...
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From Gundam to Wicked: 21 themed Japanese hotel rooms that you won’t believe
When choosing a place to stay while traveling, most people look for very specific things in hotels: location, price, continental breakfasts that are open until ten so that lazy people like us can...
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Take a moment to look around: Beautiful photos from Weilun Chong
When done by someone with skill, photography can reveal an immense amount about its subject with just a glance. While most of us struggle to keep our photos in focus, some people are capable of...
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Commuters surprisingly receptive to JR’s innovative new system
Trains in Japan can get pretty hot and sweaty even without the sweltering summer heat mixed in, and some commuters have voiced concerns about the conditions on trains that have to wait at the station...
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All aboard! Taking a ride on Kumamoto Prefecture’s party train
Kumamoto, a rural prefecture on Kyushu Island off the mainland of Japan, is one of the remaining “car societies” in a country using more and more public transportation. It is also home to one of the...
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