Ranking reveals Japan’s most annoying train passengers

The way fellow passengers sit or occupy seats has been found to be the greatest cause of annoyance for train travelers in Japan, according to a recent ranking.

The annual “train and train station annoyance ranking," based on the results of a survey carried out by the Japan Private Railway Association, saw the way in which some passengers occupy seats on trains make a return to the top of the ranking of the greatest annoyances encountered by travelers using Japan’s trains and train stations. 

Seating was selected by 34.3 percent of survey respondents which saw it return as the greatest annoyance after missing out to passengers talking loudly or being rowdy the previous year, the latter dropping to a close second in the latest ranking, selected by 33.9 percent of respondents. The way in which some passengers board or alight trains followed in third (27.0 percent).

Breaking down the way in which some passengers occupy seats, by some distance the greatest irritant was those passengers who take up too much room in the way they sit, including with the way they carry or place any luggage, selected by 43.3 percent of respondents. Passengers stretching or crossing their legs ranked second (23.4 percent), followed by passengers bumping into others, including with their luggage (15.2 percent).

The rest of the top 10 causes of annoyance were as follows according to the ranking: coughing or sneezing without consideration of the surroundings (27.2 percent), the way people use smartphones and other devices (including while walking in congested areas) (21.0 percent), luggage placement (19.0 percent), leaving behind garbage (18.3), riding trains while drunk (16.9 percent), noise coming from headphones (16.3 percent), eating / drinking on crowded trains (11.6 percent). 

When asked what any causes of concern might be in using trains amid the spread of the novel coronavirus, passengers not wearing a face mask was the greatest cause of concern, selected by 57.5 percent of respondents. This was followed by people talking nearby (46.5 percent) and the in-car ventilation (38.3 percent).

While passengers not wearing a face mask has remained the greatest cause of concern for train travelers, the percentage of votes has dropped from over 70 percent in the previous year’s ranking. 

When asked if they thought manners of fellow travelers had improved over time 29.9 percent of respondents said there had been at least some improvement. 47.7 percent said there had been no change.

It’s not all about irritating passengers however, survey respondents were also asked to detail any heart-warming acts of kindness they had witnessed or experienced while using trains and in train stations. 

Along with passengers giving up their seats for those in greater need, responses included being waved at while watching a passing train and the awareness of those passengers who change seats in order to let couples and groups sit together. 

The latest edition of the “train and train station annoyance ranking” was based on the results of a survey carried online from October 1 to November 30, 2022, receiving responses from 3,305 people.

Member companies of the Japan Private Railway Association include 16 major railway operators and a number of smaller regional railways.

“The railway has both a public and a social mission and is indispensable to both economic activities and our daily lives. We will continue to ensure the safety and security of users, by promoting infection prevention measures and barrier-free stations and platforms, and we will take steps to publicize these initiatives,” said Hirofumi Nomoto the association’s chairman in a June 2022 address.