Can you talk in a train in Japan?

Can you talk on a train in Japan? Well, let me tell you, it’s a bit of a tricky one. You can technically, but… should you? Probably not. I remember my first time on a Japanese train – it was so quiet! Like, eerily quiet. I’m used to the hustle and bustle of New York subways, you know? People chatting, music blasting… total chaos. This was the opposite. Everyone just quietly doing their own thing. Reading, napping, staring out the window. It felt almost sacred, you know what I mean?

So, even though I could have talked, I definitely didn’t. It just felt… wrong. Like I’d be disrupting this peaceful, shared atmosphere. And it’s not just about politeness, is it? It’s about being considerate. Think about it: someone might be exhausted after a long day, or maybe they’re using those priority seats because they have a medical condition. The quiet is actually really important for some people.

I read somewhere that Japan has a concept called “omotenashi,” which is all about anticipating the needs of others and showing hospitality without being asked. And I think the quiet train culture is a perfect example of that. It’s not a rule written down somewhere, it’s just… understood. It’s kind of beautiful, really. Makes you think, doesn’t it? How often do we really consider the needs of strangers around us?