A Design That Surprises Many in Japan: Some Train Stations Have Waiting Seats Facing Away from the Tracks.
Osaka in the Kansai region and Tokyo in the Kanto region are famous for their distinct customs and habits, from the way people use escalators, to how a bowl of miso soup is placed on a table, or how onigiri (rice balls) are eaten… However, one noticeable difference that observant travelers will spot at train stations is the orientation of the waiting seats.
Specifically, if you observe a train platform in Tokyo, you will see…
Seats facing the train tracks.
In contrast, in Osaka, the waiting seats are positioned away from the tracks.
Seats facing away from the train tracks.
A reporter from Soranews24 discovered this intriguing fact and wondered whether this difference had any significance or was merely a random arrangement. To answer this question, he reached out to the local railway operating authority for clarification. The response from West Japan Railway Company provided three reasons for the unusual design.
Reporter: I’ve noticed this at stations in Osaka and Hyogo, so I want to ask – why are the seats oriented parallel to the platform? That’s something you don’t see in Kanto…?
Well, the primary reason is to prevent intoxicated customers from falling onto the tracks. Before these seats were installed, there were numerous incidents of drunk customers standing up from their seats and falling off the platform.
So it’s to prevent drunk people from falling off the platform? Does that mean the design has changed from before?
Yes, it will take some time for me to verify exactly when they were officially introduced, but as far as I remember, the new seat configuration first appeared about 5 to 6 years ago.
Hmm. But if the goal is to prevent falls, shouldn’t platform screen doors be installed instead? I feel like I’m seeing more doors at stations in the city center.
Platform screen doors are more common in Tokyo than in Osaka.
I understand what you mean. However, Kansai has a complex network of railway lines, so it can be a bit challenging to install platform screen doors everywhere. Nevertheless, major stations like Osaka, Tsuruhashi, Kyobashi, and Sannomiya do have platform screen doors.
I see. I guess that installing platform screen doors must be quite expensive. Seats could be a more cost-effective measure.
I don’t know the exact details about costs, but I think that could be part of the reason. West Japan Railway Company has changed the seating configuration at a large number of stations in recent years.
Well, that clears things up! Thank you!
Poster explaining the reasoning to passengers.
It turns out that the primary reason for the unusual seating arrangement is to protect intoxicated customers from falling off the platform. Soranews24 also noted that while passing through several other stations in the Kansai region, they observed posters explaining the rationale behind such seating arrangements.
Intoxication leading to falls is a significant issue at train stations across Japan, to the extent that you often see posters warning commuters about the dangers. This is one of the reasons why platform screen doors are installed at some stations, but considering the associated costs and the fact that Japan’s railway network is vast and diverse, nationwide implementation would be a difficult and time-consuming task.
In this context, the solution of installing slightly differently oriented waiting seats can be an initiative that is both effective and contributes to enhancing passenger safety, receiving much praise.
