An Empty Seat On The Busy Train

I was recently reminded of something that hasn't happened to me in a very long time. Here in the UK I don't use public transport that often, because I usually work close to home but in Tokyo I had multiple jobs on the go so used trains a lot.


Getting a seat on the train in Tokyo at peak hours is sometimes something akin to a Formula 1 Rally in that ten people rush for every available seat and inevitably only one person wins, leaving nine unfortunate others who have to stand up for an hour and a half of their journey home. 

Japan//An Empty Seat On The Busy Train.

Here comes the contentious bit, one that perhaps justifiably gets many in a rage but has never personally happened to me. There is a theory that when a "foreigner" sits down on the train and there's an empty seat next to them, no-one will sit next to them point blank. I say theory because it's never actually happened to me or anybody that I knew at anytime I've ever been in Japan. 


In general - not to be patronising here by the way - it's the newbies who exude a sense of, well, newness that attract this phenomenon. There's a certain way of acting that makes you seem new or look like a traveller somewhere and that's what causes this odd phenomenon in the first place to my mind. And it's not unique to Japan by any means.


OK, maybe there are some people who just look genuinely scary and weird who even I would avoid sitting next to on the train for reasons of not wanting to catch anything, (like a dirty look or a disease, perhaps) but I think most people who use the public transport in Tokyo do have other things in their minds than "ooh that's a foreigner, sit somewhere else." Especially in these days of enlightenment when race is apparently not that much of an issue. (Well, to most anyway, but that's another post entirely!)

I always found that a little give and take is necessary to alleviate these issues. There's a reason why people - commuters - decide not to sit somewhere and when I commute I exercise the basic human right of choosing where to sit. If I see alcoholics, obvious drug addicts or plain weirdos who make the hair on the back of my neck rise I sit as far as possible away from them. Everybody does it, it's nature. 


Perhaps the only reason people notice these things so much in Japan is that they have a greater awareness of being different than at home. Racism is not always the answer, although there are some pretty odd idea'd people out there. The only thought that would pass through my head if someone elected not to sit by me on the train in Tokyo when they saw my white face is "More fool you". I've had plenty of normal conversations with Japanese people on the trains in Tokyo in Japanese, quite an event as they will usually, out of politeness - because not everybody speaks Japanese! - speak in English to you. It's not true that no Japanese person will always not sit next to the obvious foreigner on the train.


This does get people very angry sometimes, and I've seen perfectly sane people crack over being not sat next to on the train for no reason at all. Racism is bad, sure, but put yourself in their shoes and think what you'd do in that situation. Social psychology has explanations for this and whilst some Japanese do indeed dislike foreigners, it's the news media and Right Wing groups that promote that attitude the most. Stereotypes are plain  harmless stereotypes, but don't confuse them with out and out racism. Even if the stereotypes are a bit on the squirm in your seat side. Everywhere has them, they just become more pronounced when you're the subject of the stereotype.


Also remember that many Japanese are scared of foreigners in case they talk to them and they can't answer back in English. That's it! In most cases they're just plain scared of you and too shy so don't get too offended too much over shyness. Put it this way, it's the only time you'll scare off a member of the yakuza in your whole life so enjoy it!

Remember there is also the myth disproving story of the English teacher in rural Japan who got himself free train rides everyday by getting paid to bring custom to the local train line by chatting in English to the interested commuters on his way to work. A true story, by the way. Not going happen in Tokyo though I fear as the Yamanote line has enough problems with sardine can style commuting as it is! 


But remember that although it can be annoying to be talked to by strangers on the train and ran away from, it's a miracle that it even happens in the city where trains are silent and super busy in general, like the London Underground of the UK.

I've made friends through such meetings and can be amenable to the odd train parlance once in a while. And I'll tell you honestly that there isn't that much of a difference between that person with the briefcase sat opposite you sleeping and yourself.

Words by Seba.

http://seba-rashii.blogspot.com/