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Japan now has facial-recognition ticket gates, but why aren’t people using them?

Oona McGee
Sep 28, 2026
Tweet

New walk-through gates are designed to speed up the flow of passengers, but there’s something tripping them up.

Japan
(COK • cool • East Japan Railway Company • facial recognition • Japan Railway • Japan travel • Japanese train stations • JR • JR East • Osaka • public transport • tourism • train stations • trains • transport • travel)

Japanese kindness restores our faith in humanity after a highway bus accident in Tokyo

Oona McGee
Mar 27, 2026

Traumatic event becomes a heartwarming one, thanks to the work of both driver and passengers.

Japan
(bus • bus driver • busses • etiquette • heartwarming • highway buses • Japan travel • Japanese bus • kindness • manners • public transport • SNJO • society • Tokyo • tourism • transport • travel)

Secret stairs at Tokyo Station dungeon come with a serious warning

Oona McGee
Apr 30, 2025

This train station dungeon wants you to turn back at this point, but what happens if you go ahead?

Japan
(dungeon • Japanese train stations • Japanese trains • public transport • SNJO • stairs • station • stations • Tokyo Station • train stations • trains • transport • travel)

Kyotram brings new luxury look to public transport in Kyoto

Oona McGee
Mar 5, 2025

Glamorous streetcar on historic tram line is ready to give you the best ride around town.

Japan
(Arashiden • Kyoto • Kyotram • news • public transport • Randen • streetcar • streetcars • tourism • tram • trams • travel)

Mask rules in Japan have changed…so are people still wearing them?

Oona McGee
Mar 15, 2023

We find out if people in Tokyo are ripping off their masks and throwing them to the wind in light of the new changes.

Japan
(COK • coronavirus • COVID-19 • etiquette • government • health • manners • masking • masks • pandemic • public transport • rules • SNJO • society • Tokyo • trains • travel)

Tourists warned about fake volunteer guide near Kinkakuji in Kyoto

SoraNews24
Nov 4, 2022

“Guide” continues to pester travellers despite the city’s requests for him to stop.

Japan
(buses • Golden Pavilion • Golden Pavillion • Kinkakuji • Kyoto • news • public transport • tourism • tourist sites • transport • travel)

What’s the true reason for Japanese train delays classed as “customer support”?

Oona McGee
Jan 21, 2022

When you hear this term being used on trains, it’s often a euphemism for something more serious.

Japan
(COK • interview • Japanese trains • public transport • railways • SNJO • stations • train delay • trains)

Japanese transport group aims to set up public ropeway transit system by 2025

Katy Kelly
May 8, 2021

The group will continue to test their zip-line propelled capsule cars in Odawara City in Kanagawa.

Japan
(public transport • ropeway • travel • Zip Infrastructure Inc. • zipline • Zippar)

Man sees figure clinging to bus on highway in Japan, immediately calls police 【Video】

Oona McGee
Feb 17, 2020

The vehicle was spotted travelling at speed and showed no signs of slowing down.

Japan
(art • bus • buses • figurines • highways • Hyogo • mannequins • marketing • Osaka • public transport • roads • tradition • transport • travel • videos)

Passenger moved by bus driver’s kindness writes letter to company and gets a heartfelt reply

Koh Ruide
Mar 4, 2019

Compassion and understanding really do make the world go round.

Japan
(bus • bus driver • customer service • Japanese Twitter • kindness • letter • public transport)

New Welcome to Kanto Pasmo IC Card is the most kawaii way to ride trains on a trip to Japan

Oona McGee
Dec 21, 2018

Only a limited quantity of these cute Mt Fuji sakura cards will be available.

Japan
(cute • Japanese trains • Kanto • Kawaii • Mt. Fuji • Pasmo • public transport • sakura • tourism • tourists • trains • transport • travel)

Muji designs cool all-weather self-driving shuttle bus, aims to implement it in Finland in 2020

Koh Ruide
Nov 12, 2018

With any luck, we might be able to see this awesome autonomous public transport quite soon.

Japan
(cute • Finland • muji • public transport • self-driving vehicle • shuttle bus)

Tokyo’s new Keio Liner train debuts next month with special features and reserved seating

Oona McGee
Jan 25, 2018

New service guarantees you a seat on the ride home during peak rush hour periods.

Japan
(hachioji • Japanese trains • Keio • public transport • tourism • trains • travel)

Tokyo snowfall, the heaviest in four years, causes chaos in the capital 【Photos】

Oona McGee
Jan 23, 2018

The unusual weather conditions caused major disruptions around the metropolis.

Japan
(Japanese trains • public transport • Rainbow Bridge • snow • Tokyo • Tokyo snow • trains • transport • winter)

Petition gathers support for men-only train carriages in Japan

Richard Simmonds
Aug 24, 2017

Man (and woman) is born free and everywhere is in trains.

Japan
(chikan • Japan Rail • JR • men-only • petitions • public transport • rush hour • trains • transport • women only)

New “pink light” system for pregnant passengers trialled on subway in South Korea【Video】

Oona McGee
Jun 17, 2016

The bluetooth system has been designed to help pregnant women secure a seat on the train.

Culture, Japan, Korea
(maternity • maternity mark • pregnancy • pregnant • pregnant mothers • public transport • South Korea • trains)

Dedicated railroad otaku creates the digital swiss army knife of Tokyo Metro maps

Scott Wilson
Dec 24, 2014

This past year the Tokyo Metro has been brought to life in many different ways, ranging from a spaghetti-alien map to, well, a 3-D spaghetti-alien map. But it’s the latest re-imagining of the Tokyo Metro in the highly versatile SVG format that’s currently causing a lot of commotion online.

Japan
(maps • public transport • Tokyo • Tokyo Metro • trains • transport)

South Korean design company turns subway maps into beautiful artwork you can hang on your wall

Hayashi 'Fang' Hougi
Oct 14, 2014

The first time I went to Tokyo alone, I got lost within the first five minutes of arriving at Shinjuku Station, unable to comprehend why there were so many transfers to different lines going in different directions. Without mobile data on my phone, I was basically one of the ‘internet-less lost gaijin’ crippled by the lack of Google Maps who ended up befriending the station master at every transfer station because, without them, I would probably have had to spend the night hanging out with the buskers on the streets.

The maps in Japanese subway stations are not only confusing, they also look like multi-colored spaghetti or weird roller coasters, and I can clearly recall thinking how nice it would be to have a better-looking representation of the city’s train lines. Thankfully, it looks like South Korean design company Zero per Zero has fulfilled my wish with their subway map designs, which are becoming a hot topic on Reddit.

Japan, Korea
(art • maps • Osaka • public transport • Subway • Tokyo • trains)

Bus driver’s kind service towards blind passenger wins praise from Taiwanese netizens

Joan Coello
Jan 26, 2014

Taking the bus or train is a mundane routine for many of us. Sometimes, when there are delays in the arrival or an unexpected breakdown of such public transportation, we get annoyed or even angry at the drivers or transportation companies. But how many of us have ever thanked them for fulfilling their responsibilities of arriving on time, or for driving safely?

Over in Taichung, Taiwan, a bus driver went the extra mile to help a blind commuter onboard and off the bus, winning some unexpected praise and commendation from passengers and netizens on Taiwanese forums.

Taiwan
(bus • driver • good service • kind • public transport)

Transit authorities offer commuters in Singapore free off-peak fares in effort to alleviate morning rush

John Stuart Translations
Jul 3, 2013

Japan is of course not the only country that experiences crowded trains and subways during rush hour. Over the last 10 years Singapore’s population has increased by 30 percent, putting pressure on its public transportation system, especially during the morning rush. Though Japan is trying to alleviate overcrowding with wider trains, Singapore is taking a different approach to the problem; free fares until 7:45 a.m. for anyone getting off at one of 16 stations in the downtown core.