Which side of the escalator do you stand on?
Jan 1, 2019, 4:29 pm
#16
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It’s common practice for people to stand on one side (left in Tokyo) to make way for walkers on the other side. However, it’s common knowledge in Jpn that you’re not supposed to walk on escalators for safety reasons. And that’s throughout Jpn. Most escalators will have no walking signs, even though many people ignore them. The right thing is to stand.
Jan 1, 2019, 10:01 pm
#17
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Did hear in a department store a couple weeks ago for the first time, or at least the first time I've noticed, an employee asking people to form two standing only lines. This was from 1F to 2F with a large number of people. Further up, folks seemed to gravitate to the left side as the numbers thinned.
Jan 7, 2019, 1:33 am
#18
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In my both my home and work stations, the "right" or walking side of the escalators are heavily used by commuters. I heard about JR East's recent campaign to change that, but I can't imagine it being implemented.
Department store and tourist-heavy escalators I can understand it working as many non-japanese don't know the local rule anyway.
Department store and tourist-heavy escalators I can understand it working as many non-japanese don't know the local rule anyway.
Jan 7, 2019, 5:55 pm
#21
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In Osaka, you stand on the right; rest of Japan, it's the left. I always wondered if there is somewhere in between where you stand in the middle or if the shift is sudden. Doubt I will ever try to find out!
Jan 7, 2019, 6:07 pm
#22
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Jul 25, 2019, 4:39 pm
#23
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Thanks to the concentrated efforts of JR, the answer is rapidly becoming "both", at least inside train stations. Never thought that rushing Japanese would stand for it (heh!), but now more often than not the escalators are packed with standers on both sides.
Or is this just a metro Tokyo phenomena?
Or is this just a metro Tokyo phenomena?
There's probably a big expanse of inaka between them where few, if any, escalators exist.
Last edited by hailstorm; Jul 25, 2019 at 4:46 pm
Jul 25, 2019, 5:11 pm
#24
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It doesn’t matter how big the poster is or whether it’s right in front of you. People cannot be bothered to read signs. They are hardwired to their habits. Many will, consistently without fail, stand in the middle of the shopping aisle, preferably an intersection, when on their cell phone. If you walk up to them and kindly are curious why they do so, they would have no clue what to tell you.
Jul 25, 2019, 5:12 pm
#25
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Roppongi Hills is pushing this too. The signs are clear and yet people tend to stand on the left and assume people will walk on the right. I stand squarely in the middle as I do not really want to wipe the escalator with my dress every morning.
I see this as a good policy, slow to be implemented, but important. If people are in such a rush they can consider leaving 1 minute earlier.
I see this as a good policy, slow to be implemented, but important. If people are in such a rush they can consider leaving 1 minute earlier.
Jul 25, 2019, 5:26 pm
#26
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Where there's a will, there's a way. I will do my part, standing perfectly still holding the rail on the right hand side, smug in the knowledge of my correctness.
Jul 25, 2019, 7:34 pm
#27
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Hold on tight, I've seen angry salarymen push their way past folks (usually foreigners/tourists) to get on their regularly scheduled trains. During non-commute hours, when clueless tourists outnumber office workers, you'll probably be fine.
Jul 25, 2019, 8:07 pm
#28
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Japanese people can be downright aggressive in certain situations. People rush in like bull stampede to get in and secure seats on a shihatsu train (empty train leaving its first station) that my 2 kids and I were unable to sit together recently despite being at the front of the queue. When you're deplaning from a domestic flight, Japanese pax are so eager to get off the plane that majority of people already lined up in the aisle will not stop and let you out unless you force your way out.
Jul 25, 2019, 9:02 pm
#29
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This is when stress relief therapy comes in. More than once I have had to lay into some idiot who felt it best to shove me. I actually find it relieves stress to make such low life fly or otherwise reconsider their behavior. That said it is 100X worse in the US than here for sure.
Jul 25, 2019, 9:15 pm
#30
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That was before Premium Friday solved everything. Now everyone leaves the office around 3pm on the last Friday of the month to get spritually rejuvenated with things like belly dancing lessons and community sock hops.
Most people thought that Premium Friday would be a flop, but gold old Abe sure proved them wrong!
Most people thought that Premium Friday would be a flop, but gold old Abe sure proved them wrong!