JJapan

The 8 most annoying things people do on Japanese trains, according to local commuters

  • August 1, 2025

TL;DR A survey of 500 Japanese commuters identified the eight most annoying behaviors on trains, with not moving being the most common. The survey also revealed how commuters cope with these annoyances, with most simply enduring them or leaving the situation.

by SkyInJapan

14 comments

  1. I hate when you are hurrying to get into a train car as the music is playing and someone else is ahead of you, and as soon as they get inside the door they just stop and look around for where they want to stand while blocking your entrance, not paying any attention to whether someone was behind them or not

  4. Talk, I thought the trains were supposed to be a calm place to relax. I’ve never seen so many Japanese people have loud conversations that I can hear them several feet away.

  5. Anyone who travels during rush hour regularly has likely experienced the complete breakdown of Japanese マナー on numerous occasions. I witnessed a physical scrap just this morning lol.

  6. > how people deal with them. The most popular answer, at 58.2 percent, was to simply “put up with it“, …second “leave the situation” (24.4 percent) followed by “shoot a glare” (9 percent)… Another … was to “push back” (7 percent) … and lastly, “wear headphones” (3.8 percent) to escape the situation

    In other words 93% of people who answered deal with the situation by doing nothing lol. That is Japanese culture at its best

  7. In general, voice manners exist until 19/20. After this, people talk more loudly than 2 hours before. Quite funny contrast

  9. Still carrying your backpacks and occupying unnecessary space…and further making spins inside the carriage just to make sure their bags bash into your face/chest…

  10. People that block the passage to the corridor with seats. Now we have to push up against each other in the vestibule even though there’s plenty of room to stand in front of the seats. Just move towards the middle – it will be very easy for you to get off at your stop anyway.

  12. I love when they are in Priority seat and when a priority person come, suddenly everybody is asleep or afraid to look away from phone like its a Life or death situation

  13. How could they completely leave the “horse sound snorting salary men during allergy season”off the list?
    It’s gotta be one of the most repulsive sounds a human can make

  14. Oh, yes… coughing/sneezing without covering their nose and mouth, spreading viruses everywhere.

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