Are trains in Japan 24-7?

Are trains in Japan 24/7? Nope. Wish they were, honestly. Japan’s train system is amazing, don’t get me wrong – seriously impressive – but the whole 24/7 thing? A big fat no. Which, let me tell you, is a total pain, especially if you’re working there. Being late? Forget about it. It’s like, the end of the world. I remember one time, I swear, I was sprinting to the station, my heart hammering like a drum solo, because I’d overslept… only to find the platform deserted. The train wasn’t even close to on time, it was just… gone. The stress! Ugh. I nearly cried. Seriously.

And don’t even get me started on trying to catch a late-night Shinkansen. That’s not happening. They pretty much shut down for the night. It’s like, they’re super efficient during the day, a well-oiled machine, but then…poof! They disappear. It felt incredibly restrictive, that limited schedule. I mean, there were times I needed to travel late, for a friend’s birthday, maybe, or an urgent work thing, and it was just… impossible. So yeah, while the Japanese train system is undoubtedly fantastic in many ways, the lack of 24/7 service is a major drawback. A real downer, to say the least.