Shinjuku - the world's busiest train station
Once you get here, you will understand why it is the busiest train station in the world.
An endless maze of underground tunnels, vast shopping malls and a sea of people moving around, Shinjuku Station is a place where even locals get lost. Serving around 3.6 million passengers a day, Shinjuku is so busy that in 2016, East Japan Railway Company launched a specially designed app to help users navigate the maze.
45 of the world's 51 busiest train stations are in Japan
Shinjuku is a prime example of Japan's massive and busy train network. But the surprises don't end there, as there are actually plenty of other super-busy stations located across the country. Of the world's 51 busiest train stations, Japan is home to 45 of them - proving once again that this is a country that travels almost entirely by train. The top five busiest stations, in descending order, are: Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Umeda (in Osaka) and Yokohama.
There is a station that only opens twice a year.
Tsushimanomiya Station on the island of Shikoku is a smaller, less busy station that only opens twice a year. In celebration of the local summer festival at Tsushima Shrine, it will be open on August 4th and 5th.
Japan has the longest upside down train
Just an hour from Tokyo, you’ll find Chiba, a seaside prefecture often overlooked by tourists but packed with charm. The main draw here is the Chiba Metropolitan Monorail, which is both retro and strangely futuristic. The train is suspended and runs along a 15.2 km (9.4 mi) track, making it the longest suspended railway system in the world. It’s almost impossible to walk under it without feeling like it’s about to fall on your head.
Women-only carriages
In crowded places, there are always criminals who take advantage of the crowd's vulnerability. Trains and stations as crowded as Japan are no exception. They call these opportunists "chikan" in Japanese. And as a way to prevent this, in some cities, subway systems have deployed separate cars for women during rush hours (mornings and evenings on workdays) to control and ensure the safety of women as much as possible.
The station also has... fans!
A lunch is served on board.
The Japanese use the word "otaku" to refer to a fandom, and it doesn't just refer to anime or electronic trends, but can be applied to anything in life that interests and excites people. Search the keyword "densha otaku" or "train nerd" online, and you will see a series of very "confusing" results about fans, passionate about trains as real "idols". According to Japanese news site Sora News, there are currently 36 different types of densha otaku, from ori-tetsu - people who like to walk around the station, to ekiben-tetsu - people who like the lunch boxes served on the train.
Shinkansen are all equipped with automatic brakes for earthquakes.
Surely everyone knows that the land of the rising sun is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. But not everyone knows that, thanks to the Japanese's ingenious design and meticulous eye for detail, this is also one of the safest places in the event of an earthquake. For the railway network - the main means of transportation for people and tourists here, they are always equipped with a special safety mechanism. When shinkansens (bullet trains) run across the country at "rocket" speed, the main system will connect everything, "freezing" the whole thing in a safe state as soon as the first sign of an earthquake occurs.
Japan has the longest bridge in the world
Known as the Seto Ohashi, the structure is a series of bridges that connect Okayama Prefecture on Honshu Island with Kagawa Prefecture on Shikoku Island. Spanning 9,368 meters (5.8 miles), the bridge is used primarily for automobiles, but also has space for shinkansen trains.
Hello Kitty Train Station
The recent news of a new Hello Kitty shinkansen has been making waves across Japan, but let's not forget that Tokyo has had a Hello Kitty train station for a while now! Located in Tama-Center Station, southeast of Tokyo, you'll find a magical world of Hello Kitty all over the signs, train bodies, glass ceilings... in the center of the station.
Punctuality is a principle
Japan is famous for being a country of principles, especially when it comes to punctuality in all activities, including the train system. Late last year, a story about a train departing 20 seconds early caused a "chaos" in the Japanese community: the Tsukuba Express, traveling between Tokyo and Tsukuba city. It left the station at 9:44:20 instead of 9:44:40 as scheduled. To remedy this "embarrassing" incident, the company issued a statement apologizing, citing the driver's incorrect reading of the schedule and promising that it would not happen again.
