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Are You Holding Your Backpack on the Japanese Subway Wrong?
Common wisdom holds that there’s a polite way to hold your backpack on a crowded train in Japan. But is common wisdom wrong?
By Jay Allen
When in Rome, they say, do as the Romans do. (Actually, in Japan, they say 郷に入って郷に従え: when in the village, follow the village — but, hey, same concept.) But what happens when the locals don’t even agree on what the local customs are? Case in point: the ongoing debate in Japan over what exactly to do with a large backpack on a crowded train.
Navigating the convenient — but crowded — subway system
The train systems in Japan are properly praised by both locals and visitors alike. Tokyo’s subway system alone serves millions daily. Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Ikebukuro Stations alone see over seven million passengers a day.
The convenience has its downsides. Most stations serve trains from multiple railway companies and have evolved organically over time. That means some of them can be a nightmare to navigate. Even local residents complain that stations like Shinjuku and Shibuya are hard to traverse.
