Today I am going to post about public transportation in Japan. First off, public transportation in Japan is very popular compared to that in America. There are multiple reasons I can think of that make people want to use trains, buses, and shinkansens (bullet trains).
From my experience in Japan, the public transportation system is very efficient and punctual. My train was supposed to leave at 8:30 arrive at the first station at 10:00, the second at 11:35 and the third at 12:45. Nadia and I timed the train and it stopped and left every station at the exact time it said on the ticket which was amazing to us because we both knew how unreliable public transportation in Florida was. This occurred with every bus and train we took to travel and we knew if the ticket said the train was leaving at 8:30 and we got there at 8:31 the train was already gone.
Besides being punctual, riding on the bus or train is actually very nice as you often get to see the Japanese countryside without noises coming from other people. The trains and buses were very quiet except for the driver telling people which stop was next. I could have easily fallen asleep without being disturbed on every single train I rode on, I was just so excited about being in Japan and seeing the countryside that I decided to stay awake. So courtesy is also another reason why I find Japanese public transportation to be pleasant instead of a nightmare.
The biggest reason why I think public transportation is so popular is because there is so much of it in Japan. Anywhere you go you only a five minute walk from some form of public transportation that goes to all kinds of different tourist attractions, stations and cities. Also, it is easy to go from one point in Japan to any other point even if it is across the country because there is such a large selection of trains and buses that leave frequently so you can mix and match them to fit perfectly into your schedule. You ride a train to one station, look for the next station and find a bus that leaves soon, take that bus to the next station and repeat the process until you reach your destination. It is relatively simple and like I said it is easy to travel around the country using only public transportation which in America would be unimaginable.
For these reasons and more I applaud Japan for their public transportation. It is punctual, courteous, and widespread allowing people to travel short and long distances in locations all over the country.
