What’s up with Tokyo JR?!
February 26th, 2007 by cloudysunshine
Well, I take back what I said about the reliability of public transportation in Tokyo. Right now I am so angry…I’m about to punch the wall! Actually, it’s still the most reliable transportation system I’ve ever seen, but when it fails, it sure chooses to fail at the right time!
Tonight, I was gonna go see my friend (who I haven’t seen in a long time) spin records in Shibuya. To catch the last train there, I had to leave from my station at 12:25am and transfer to the final train leaving from Musashi-Kosugi at 12:42am. At 12:20am, my local station attendant came out and made an announcement in super-fast Japanese.
It took awhile to figure out what he said, but basically, the Nambu line (my train) would be late leaving Kawasaki cause it was waiting for the Tokaido to arrive. There must have been a problem with the Tokaido line, and if the Nambu didn’t wait for the people on that ill-fated train, they’d be doomed to a night in Kawasaki.
Yeah, for those who don’t know, Tokyo public transportation does not run all night. Most train lines stop sometime between 12:00am and 1:00am at night. If you miss that last train, you’re stuck there until sunrise. So if you’re planning on going out to a club, you’d better be prepared to stay out for the long haul…till like 5:00am, depending on what time your train home starts running.
That’s why I like taking the last train to clubs. I’m getting old, and don’t have the stamina to party from 9pm-5am, but partying from 1am-5am is doable.
So anyway, the Nambu line was 10 minutes late, meaning there was no possible way to catch the Tokyu Toyoko line from Musashi-Kosugi to Shibuya at 12:42am. So I had to give up and go back home, cursing JR for their flaky ways.
Why am I pissed at JR?
JR (Japan Railways) was once controlled by the government, but is now a private company. Unlike cities like San Francisco, or LA, Tokyo’s public transportation system is comprised of many different companies, JR being the largest.
As I mentioned before, the train I needed to transfer onto at Musashi Kosugi was the Tokyu Toyoko line, which is run by the Tokyu (”Tokyo Kyuko”) Corporation…one of JR’s competitors. So basically, by having the JR Nambu train wait for a late JR Tokaido train, JR was looking out for itself. Anyone else depending on the Nambu to transfer to the last Tokyu train was screwed!
I was lucky, as I could just walk back home…but I wonder how many other poor souls are spending the night in Musashi-Kosugi tonight thanks to JR looking out for itself. You know you’ve been in Japan too long when you start getting this pissed over a train that’s only 10 minutes late! But hey, the last train is no joke.
Actually, I was only slightly annoyed until I got home and called my friend to tell him I couldn’t make it. But I went through the roof when he passed the phone to someone who simply said, “Hello?”
I instantly recognized the voice to be one of my old-school friends from California. He recently arrived in Japan, and came to the club to say hi and surprise me! Of all the nights for JR to screw me over, why did it have to be tonight?!
I’ll never trust JR again!!!
Hi
The railway in Japan is very famous all over the world because the time is almost always on time. However, recently it is often delayed due to the accident resulting in injury or death and the breakdown.
As you said, the final train is around at 1 AM. If we miss it , we have to wait until around at 4～5 AM.When I was a student, I worked for Japanese restaurant as a part timer in Kabukicho in Shinjuku. When we had a drink ,sometimes we had to go home by the first train.
And when I worked for some foreign company, sometimes I had to use a taxi or stay at the company.Anytime,missing the final train causes a large opportunity and a financial loss.
I understand your anger well.
However, in this case I think the Tokyu railway company should have waited for the arrival of Nanbu Line for the same reason as Nanbu Line. Or I think the final train of Tokyu might have waited for the arrival of the Nanbu train.
If you were able to ask the local station attendant in Japanese at that time , “Can I take the final train of Tokyu from Musashikosugi?”, it might have been very effective.
How unlucky!
Using taxi from your place to Shibuya must be very expensive, I don’t know what is the best way for the situation like that.
Maybe you should find a friend who can drive for you!
Anyway, I want to buy a car.
But I am bad at driving.
If I buy a car, I’ll take you to anywhere you want, if you are valiant to ride on my car!
kazu, good point. I should have asked the station attendant if the Tokyu line would wait for the Nambu. My mistake was assuming that it wouldn’t. I forgot the golden rule:
Never assume…it makes an ‘ass’ out of ‘u’ and ‘me’
Morning, I only know a couple of people with cars, and they live way out in Saitama. They never drive to Tokyo cause it’s easier just to take the train.
But anyway, I’ll totally ride in your car even if you’re a bad driver. I’ll keep my eyes on the road for you…like a co-pilot.
This is not a Joke but a true story.
This is a story of the American staff’s experience when I worked for some foreign company.
He said ,” When I first came to Japan why people didn’t like to sit next to me in the train. I wondered like many foreigners why people didn’t like to sit next to me in the train.
Often passengers would be standing for a long distance although there was a seat available right nest to me.
At first I was worried.Did I have a bad smell ? Perhaps they thought I was a molester of women .
Of course it was for none of those reasons. It’s a simply that many passengers might think that I would speak to them in English. What would they do if they couldn’t answer ? It’s difficult for foreigners to understand what difficult situation this is for Japanese.”
Recently, quite the same story was in the article on Japan Ｔimes.
I think Japanese people are sometimes too shy to talk and they think they might be laughed at when they speak incorrect English . I think people should be more encouraged and should have more courage to speak like Nova students.
The most important thing is not to hesitate to talk. We have to talk a lot.
can a playa get a new post up here someday?
holla!