Taking the Train in Japan: A Language Learner's Guide

Trains in Japan are more than a mere means of transportation. They are a cultural experience that captivates travelers of all origins.

Japan's massive network of unique railways provide not only some of the most efficient and reliable train services in the world, but also some of the coolest.

From futuristic bullet trains to charming rural locomotives, it's easy to see why train travel has become an essential experience for anyone visiting Japan.

While much of the infrastructure has been updated to include English support in the forms of subtitled signage, translated announcements, and even bilingual staff, your experience can still be greatly enhanced by even a small amount of Japanese language knowledge.

Over the next few minutes, I will provide a solid foundation of Japanese expressions and insights that will make your first trip on a Japanese train all the more special.

Let’s begin by taking a look at the mysterious glyph below.

駅

I'd now like for you to imagine yourself as the subject of a Rorschach examination.

Picture a distinguished older gentleman in a tweed jacket, setting his pipe down to retrieve a folded paper from his desk.

Try to visualize how in one smooth motion, he raises the sheet to your eye level and opens it, revealing the ink blot at its center.

This is the Kanji character for "Station."

But what do you see?

I see a large capital R to the right of a man in a wheelchair.

In the station of my mind, there is a big problem with individuals parking in handicapped spots illegally. You might even say the spaces are being pirated (because pirates say "R").

Therefore, wheelchair + capital R = station.

This is one approach to recognizing Japanese Kanji Characters.

The idea is not my own. A man named James Heisig popularized this methodology in his aptly named book, “Remembering the Kanji”.

The process works by creating little mnemonic devices and stories for each and every symbol. In the case of 駅, Heisig himself sees a a team of horses and a Chinese flute.

What we see is entirely up to us, so long as it helps us arrive at the correct meaning, "station."

Take a moment now to create a story of your own.

First Glance Vocabulary

Now that you’ve become intimately familiar with 駅, notice how it jumps out at you from the top of the list below.

If the other characters still appear daunting, just remember that they are supposed to.

Becoming able to decode something that once seemed to be impossibly complex and obscure, is all part of the fun.

Through a little time and effort, these mysterious runes can appear as they do to the 125 million residents of Japan - a normal part of everyday life.

Sounds of the station

Even in the absence of a conversation partner, one will still be tested on their listening comprehension of the above, thanks to the abundance of station announcements in Japan.

After a year of taking the same train, the following announcement became etched into my mind as if it were lyrics to a memorable song.

間もなく3番線に快速東京行きが参ります。
Mamonaku san ben sen ni, kaisouku Tokyo yuki ga mairimasu.

危ないですから黄色い線までお下がりください。
Abunai desu kara, kiiroi sen made, o sagari kudasai.

Despite being able to recognize the sounds and patterns within the first few weeks, I spent a much longer time not really knowing what any of it meant.

That felt bad. I was immersed in the language, but not absorbing any of it. It seemed that the advice of not trying to "learn by osmosis" was probably correct.

However, once I began making a concentrated effort to add more vocabulary, the clouds began to part.

By using only the words we've introduced above, the announcement becomes much less intimidating.

間もなく3番線に快速東京行きが参ります。
Mamonaku san ban sen ni, kaisouku Tokyo yuki ga mairimasu.

危ないですから黄色い線までお下がりください。
Abunai desu kara, kiiroi sen made, o sagari kudasai.

Platform 3, rapid train, bound for Tokyo, danger, yellow line.

This is how without without fully comprehending the given structure and grammar, one can still become able to grasp the pertinent information.

Gaining clarity

These are the little “a-ha” moments that should activate some part of the reward circuitry in your brain.

Learning the language of your host country will open doors that you didn’t even realize were closed.

Slowly becoming able to remove those barriers should feel something like a superpower awakening within you.

Once you start to grasp the bits and pieces, you need only fill in the blanks.

Soon, on platform 3, the rapid train bound for Tokyo will arrive.
間もなく3番線に快速東京行きが参ります。
Mamonaku san ben sen ni, kaisouku Tokyo yuki ga mairimasu.

It’s dangerous, so please stand behind the yellow line.
危ないですから黄色い線までお下がりください。
Abunai desu kara, kiiroi sen made, o sagari kudasai.

Japanese announcement ASMR?

While fact-checking the examples above, I found this YouTube video of literally nothing more than announcements from the JR Yamanote line.

It's got over a million views and has been flooded with overwhelmingly positive comments - another testament to just how hard us Japan nerds can nerd out over Japan stuff.

For anyone who's spent any amount of time in Tokyo - the Yamanote line announcements should conjure up plenty of (hopefully) pleasant memories.

If it's your first time encountering these, consider them to be a sneak-peek of your future Japan journey.

Here are 5 examples from the video to practice with.

The next stop is Yoyogi, the doors on the left side will open.
次は代々木、お出口は左側です。
Tsugi wa Yoyogi, o deguchi wa hidari gawa desu.

Please give the priority seats to those who made need them.
優先席を必要とされるお客様がいらっしゃいましたら、席をお譲りください。
Yūsenseki o hitsuyō to sareru o kyakusama ga irasshaimashitara, seki o yuzuri kudasai.

Please change here for the Namboku subway line.
地下鉄南北線はお乗り換えです。
Chikatestu Namboku sen wa o norikae desu.

Please set your mobile phones to silent, and refrain from talking in the train.
車内では携帯電話をマナーモードに設定の上、通話はお控えください。
Shanai de wa, keitai denwa o manā modō ni settei no ue, tsūwa o hikae kudasai.

There is a gap between the platform and the train, please watch your step.
電車とホームの間が空いているところがありますので、足元にご注意ください。 Densha to hōmu no aida ga aiteiru tokoro ga arimasu no de, ashimoto ni go chūi kudasai

Talking about trains

The usefulness of train vocabulary isn’t strictly limited to deciphering station announcements.

Trains come up in everyday conversations in both professional and personal situations in Japan. Most people living in the greater Tokyo area utilize its railway network at some point in their lives.

Workplace smalltalk in Japan is often joked about for being exceptionally superficial and uninteresting. In summer, coworkers tend to repeatedly greet one another with "hot, isn't it?"

They may do this several times a day, every day, until winter finally arrives, and they begin to say "cold, isn't it?"

If a conversation continues beyond either of those expressions, it's quite possible that your morning commute will be brought up.

One possible reason for this, is that trains are seen as a beginner-friendly area of language study. Words and expressions related to travel are often the first step for anyone studying a new language for the first time.

It's also because the conversation is not likely to become too heavy or personal. Trains are something to which everyone can easily relate.

Consider the following as alternatives for remarking on the weather:

The morning train is always crowded, isn't?
朝の電車はいつも混んでいますね。
Asa no densha wa itsumo konde imasu ne?

Have you ever taken the shinkansen before?
新幹線に乗ったことがありますか？
Shinkansen ni notta koto ga arimasu ka?

Do you prefer the window or aisle seat?
窓側と通路側、どちらが好きですか？
Mado gawa to tsūro gawa, dochira ga suki desu ka?

The Midnight Train

There is one Japanese train scenario in particular that is almost a rite of passage.

If you're invited to a big night out in Tokyo, you will likely find yourself weighing the pros and cons of 終電 vs. 始発.

This is because the trains in Japan stop running relatively early, usually somewhere around 12:00 am.

Partygoers are often conflicted when deciding to take the final train home, or tough it out until the first train the following morning.

It's still early, let's drink together until the first train!
まだ早いよ、始発まで一緒に飲もう！
Mada hayai yo, shihatsu made issho ni nomou!

I have to wake up early tomorrow, so I think the last train is better.
明日朝早いから、終電で帰る方がいいかも。
Ashita asa hayai kara, shūden de kaeru hō ga ii kamo.

If you do decide to stay out until the morning train, keep in mind that you may be sharing the ride home with some seriously intoxicated individuals.

Confronting the uncomfortable

While train travel in Japan is generally a very pleasant and enjoyable experience, there are also some unsettling realities that may come as a surprise to those unfamiliar with the country as a whole.

Here are two unfortunate exceptions in a nation otherwise praised for its exceptional public safety.

盗撮 (tosatsu)

Signs warning against “voyeurism photography” can be seen posted on stairs and escalators in many Japanese stations.

That's because the act of aiming cameras up women’s skirts became so common, that regulations needed to be introduced to ban silent camera shutters on cell phones. If you listen, you’ll notice that most - if not all smartphones in Japan make a conspicuously audible shutter sound for this exact reason.

Should you ever find yourself discussing one of these creeps, hopefully justice has prevailed and you'll be able to say the following:

The person taking voyeuristic photos was arrested.
盗撮をする人が逮捕されました。
Tosatsu suru hito ga taiho saremashita.

痴漢 (chikan)

Loosely translated as “pervert” or “groper”, this expression refers to public sexual assault, another uncomfortable reality of modern-day Japan.

Molesters use the cover of crowded trains to commit assaults under the guise of accidental contact. Some plan their crimes to appear unintentional, while others attack victims much more brazenly.

The data is difficult to collect, but some reports suggest that nearly 70% of Japanese women experience "chikan" at some point in their lives.

It's also believed that perpetrators prefer to target those who they perceive as being less likely to report the incident - a grim explanation for why uniformed schoolchildren seem to represent a large portion of the victims.

In this viral video of a good samaritan tripping a fleeing pervert in a Tokyo station, I like to imagine he delivered the following one liner after the takedown:

Groping is absolutely unforgivable.
痴漢は絶対に許されません。
Chikan wa zettai ni yurusaremasen.

Despite occasional incidents of the above, the railway system in Japan remains a generally safe and comfortable way to travel.

Strict laws ensure that offenders are punished, and railway companies continue to deploy new methods to prevent future incidents from occurring.

Recent measures have included the installation of additional security cameras, the use of women-only cars during rush hour, and increased training for employees to identify and report harassment and assaults.

Credit where credit is due

At the center of all these efforts stand the employees themselves.

The men and women working in Japan's railway industry are truly the driving force behind all the fame and praise that the nation's trains receive.

From the cleanliness, to the punctuality, to the courteousness - everything about the railway system in Japan is geared towards providing the best possible experience for the customer - and none of it would be possible without the tireless efforts of the workers.

Here are some of the titles they proudly carry:

While I wouldn't encourage anyone to distract these incredibly busy individuals too much, a small nod of approval might be appropriate and well received - should you run into any of them during your travels.

The destination is the journey

It's a bit of a cliché expression, but it's especially true of both train travel, and language study. It's important to stop and appreciate the things that we enjoy along the way.

Whether you are a first-time visitor or a long-time resident, the railway system in Japan is something that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime.

With the added power of language skills, one can gain new insights and perspectives that significantly enhance the overall experience.

So climb aboard, fire up your favorite Kanji flashcard app, and see where the ride takes you.