In another of my articles, I talked about how convenience stores are one of the coolest things about day-to-day life in Japan. In this article, I’ll be talking about another aspect of Japanese day-to-day life that is, in my opinion, exceptionally cool: public transport.
This is perhaps one of the most mundane of all possible topics. To think of public transport as 'cool' is a bizarre idea to many, I am sure. However, I have a reason for my admiration. In my life, I have lived in three countries – Australia, England and Japan. In Australia I lived in suburbs that did not have train stations. To get to school I would have to take two buses before I would reach a train station, and then have to take a train for the rest of the journey. This process would take me at least an hour and a half, provided that the trains were on time (which they often were not). And these suburbs were relatively close to the centre of Sydney. The day I got my driver’s licence was a wonderful day indeed. In England the situation is somewhat better. Any relatively suburban town will have a train station, and even the most rural villages (one of which I lived in for two years) have a bus service. But in true British fashion these buses and trains are often late and tend to go completely haywire at the first sign of adverse weather conditions. After experiencing public transport in these two countries, and knowing that these countries should be miles better at having decent public transport than the countries not fortunate enough to be as wealthy as Australia and England are, I began to suspect that there was no country in the world with a nearly 100% fully functional public transport system.
Then along came Japan, swinging heroically through the window, to put my fears to rest. Because, when it comes to public transport, Japan is unquestionably the country that you want to pay attention to for a lesson on how it is done. It is perfectly possible to live pretty much anywhere in Japan that has a sizeable population, and never, ever need to use a car; a concept that is virtually unheard of in most other countries.
First of all, if you want to travel anywhere within a town and walking does not appeal, there will be a reliable bus service available. The buses always arrive frequently and on time, and have a clear map showing exactly where they plan to go. Considering the number of times I found myself travelling to strange places during my childhood Australian bus-riding escapades, the prospect of maps alone sold me on Japanese buses. On Japanese buses you often pay when you get off the bus rather than when you get on. This is time-saving, because it means that you can count out the amount of money you need while you are on the bus, and not waste everybody’s time counting out money when you get on. This helps the bus service stay punctual.
The top photo is a detailed bus map, and the bottom photo is a Japanese bus whose final destination is Tokyo Tower.
Then, of course, there are Japanese trains. Japanese trains are legendary. In Tokyo, there is a train station in every town, and you can be certain that a train will be there for you every 5-10 minutes. In the heart of Tokyo the trains will come even more frequently than that. Inside the trains are television screens frequently displaying how far you are along the line, and announcements in Japanese and English telling you what station is coming up next. As the train leaves every station, the official-looking chaps in smart uniforms with white gloves check that all of the controls are in working order with the meticulousness we all know and love the Japanese for, and the train pulls away at the precise second that it is supposed to depart.
This is perhaps one of the most mundane of all possible topics. To think of public transport as 'cool' is a bizarre idea to many, I am sure. However, I have a reason for my admiration. In my life, I have lived in three countries – Australia, England and Japan. In Australia I lived in suburbs that did not have train stations. To get to school I would have to take two buses before I would reach a train station, and then have to take a train for the rest of the journey. This process would take me at least an hour and a half, provided that the trains were on time (which they often were not). And these suburbs were relatively close to the centre of Sydney. The day I got my driver’s licence was a wonderful day indeed. In England the situation is somewhat better. Any relatively suburban town will have a train station, and even the most rural villages (one of which I lived in for two years) have a bus service. But in true British fashion these buses and trains are often late and tend to go completely haywire at the first sign of adverse weather conditions. After experiencing public transport in these two countries, and knowing that these countries should be miles better at having decent public transport than the countries not fortunate enough to be as wealthy as Australia and England are, I began to suspect that there was no country in the world with a nearly 100% fully functional public transport system.
Then along came Japan, swinging heroically through the window, to put my fears to rest. Because, when it comes to public transport, Japan is unquestionably the country that you want to pay attention to for a lesson on how it is done. It is perfectly possible to live pretty much anywhere in Japan that has a sizeable population, and never, ever need to use a car; a concept that is virtually unheard of in most other countries.
First of all, if you want to travel anywhere within a town and walking does not appeal, there will be a reliable bus service available. The buses always arrive frequently and on time, and have a clear map showing exactly where they plan to go. Considering the number of times I found myself travelling to strange places during my childhood Australian bus-riding escapades, the prospect of maps alone sold me on Japanese buses. On Japanese buses you often pay when you get off the bus rather than when you get on. This is time-saving, because it means that you can count out the amount of money you need while you are on the bus, and not waste everybody’s time counting out money when you get on. This helps the bus service stay punctual.
On top is a diagram of the JR (Japan Rail - Japan's main rail company) train line routes, focusing on Tokyo. The circular light green coloured line in the middle, the Yamanote line, takes you to all of the main stations in the centre of Tokyo. The lower photo is of a typical JR train. JR trains are normally colour-coded to represent the lines on which they run. The light green on this train represents the Yamanote line.
If you are travelling long distances across Japan, you do of course have the option of flying, and that option is most probably the cheapest with flights costing as little as they do these days. However, if you want that truly amazing, uniquely Japanese public transport experience, you cannot beat the Shinkansen, or the ‘bullet train’, as they are referred to for our lowly English-speaking ears. Averaging speeds of 262km/h, the shinkansen will get you from Tokyo to Kyoto in two hours and 18 minutes. A smoother train ride you will not experience for quite some time, despite the shinkansen's awe-inspiring speed. Riding the shinkansen is an experience that any avid train lover should not miss. My train-loving father often says that riding one was one of the best parts of our holiday in Japan in March 2006.
The upper picture is a simple map showing the main shinkansen routes along Japan. To give you an indication of the shinkansen’s speed, the central red line can be travelled in just over two hours. The lower picture is a photo of a shinkansen. Notice how the trains have distinct ‘noses’, which helps to combat wind resistance.
In conclusion, public transport might seem fairly mundane. But I think we can all recall a time that we have ranted and raved over a train being 15 minutes late, or a bus missing your stop or not going where you thought it would go, or long-distance travel across a country taking too long. For those reasons, I would say a country that has managed to pull off an admirable public transport system should be congratulated and considered exceptionally cool, and Japan’s public transport system, for one, is cool beyond reckoning.
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