The Japanese train system is one of the most renowned on planet earth. I can truly approve that it lives up to its reputation. The rail-net is immense and the amount of trains in operation likewise. There are more possibilities to get from point A to B than in most other countries with an acclaimed public transport system. Travelling by train in Japan is simply convenient. This is why I had the strangest encounters inside of trains. It’s fascinating to observe several people with different intentions commuting together in one small wagon. If you take for instance the first subway in the morning departing from Shinsaibashi, you will meet people who are heading to work while others have just returned from clubbing.
(An empty train: A very rare sight in Japan)
The most notable characteristic for Japanese trains are their punctuality. Many businessmen and office-workers rather commute by train because they are fond of the fact that trains are always on time. In fact, the use of trains has become so intensively part of Japan’s work life that it influenced the culture’s sense of time. In this regard commitment to punctuality has also its downside. The pressure of being punctual once led a young train conductor to take risks which could have been avoided if Japanese society would value time differently. For trains even delays of two minutes are unlikely. Knowing this the train conductor tried to catch up and missed to slowdown before a crucial curve. Eventually he and several passengers died.
Thank goodness this was an exception, and hopefully it has changed society’s mindset a bit. We are no machines, human failure is natural. Of course it’s important to take one’s duties serious but what’s the meaning of time and punctuality if life can be over in one second? The phrase ‘safety first’ sounds a bit old-fashioned but it’s certainly a good life-lesson if you consider the consequences of taking life-threatening risks for the sake of punctuality.
(An empty train: A very rare sight in Japan)
The most notable characteristic for Japanese trains are their punctuality. Many businessmen and office-workers rather commute by train because they are fond of the fact that trains are always on time. In fact, the use of trains has become so intensively part of Japan’s work life that it influenced the culture’s sense of time. In this regard commitment to punctuality has also its downside. The pressure of being punctual once led a young train conductor to take risks which could have been avoided if Japanese society would value time differently. For trains even delays of two minutes are unlikely. Knowing this the train conductor tried to catch up and missed to slowdown before a crucial curve. Eventually he and several passengers died.
Thank goodness this was an exception, and hopefully it has changed society’s mindset a bit. We are no machines, human failure is natural. Of course it’s important to take one’s duties serious but what’s the meaning of time and punctuality if life can be over in one second? The phrase ‘safety first’ sounds a bit old-fashioned but it’s certainly a good life-lesson if you consider the consequences of taking life-threatening risks for the sake of punctuality.
No comments:
Post a Comment