Japan’s typically timely and efficient train service (imagine a time schedule for a train that runs every 2 minutes!) make the usual, “sorry late train” excuse for walking in late to a meeting pretty unbelievable. To give train commuters a valid excuse however, JR has been in the habit of passing out certificates of lateness when a train is actually and significantly (20 minutes or so) late.
Now JR East (the area into which the Kanto region falls) is announcing that from the end of the month this service will be available on mobile phones, through the company’s mobile website.
18 JR train lines will be covered by the free service and the certificate of lateness will be available for three days after the occurrence.
JR East is also offering a new Schedule Mail service for ¥210 a month that allows subscribers to enter their train commuting information and receive an email to their mobile phone letting them know if the train is running late and offering recommendations for alternative routes.
Perhaps because of the recognized speed and efficiency of their country’s rail system, many people in Japan have a particular soft spot for trains, which often appear as cute toys or on stylish fashion accessories.
The latest one we came across is also the newest item in the “Ofuro de Pon” (“pop in the bath”) series from Epoch. Inside this mint scented ball of bath gel is one of six Shinkansen figures that is revealed as the ball melts away in the bath.
Other cool train themed products we’ve come across lately are these original alarm clocks from Nippon Sharyo that come in Yamanote, Chuo, and the new Shinkansen N700 varieties and play authentic melodies and announcements from each of these famous train lines.
Considering how long many people spend each day on the train (longer then they spend with family or friends in cases), it is understandable that commuters would come to feel an affection for their train lines. This can be done in miniature form at home with Takara Tomy’s Q-Train series modeled after real train lines (Yamanote below)…
…or with their keys with the complete set of Yamanote Line station “song” keychains (each station has a song) from Epoch so they can relive the fun of getting on/off of their favorite train!
Nice nice features, I’d really like to have both “certificate of lateness” on my mobile phone and a key-older of Shinjuku station. ^^
I put a link to this post in my blog, it’s italian, but I hope Japanese good things can spread everywhere.
Thank you for your effort.