It’s a gray area in terms of travel etiquette, but JR has a clear stance on the topic.

Japan is very committed to the idea that it’s important to be considerate to others, even if that means being a little inconvenienced yourself. This is especially true is shared spaces like public transportation, but there’s debate that pops up periodically regarding riding the Shinkansen/bullet train.

Certain Shinkansen cars have reserved seats, like an airliner, and just like with air travel, sometimes there are people traveling as a group who weren’t able to get tickets where they’re all seated next to each other, or couldn’t book the specific seats they wanted. Maybe it’s an excited couple who want to sit by side, a parent with a child who wants a window seat so they can see the scenery the train is whizzing by, or a group with a senior citizen for whom an aisle seat is easier to use. So if they ask you if you’d be willing to give up your seat, do you have an obligation to oblige them?

There are two contrasting schools of thought. One is that the whole point of a reserved seat is that you paid for it, so it’s yours, and you shouldn’t have to give it up to anyone, especially since reserved Shinkansen seats cost more than non-reserved ones. The counterargument to this, though, is that unlike on an airliner, where seats can vary wildly in price even if they’re close to each other, on the Shinkansen all seats within the same car are the same price. Assuming the other person also has a reserved seat, swapping spaces with them doesn’t mean that you’re giving up yours for something of lesser economic value by accommodating the person who’s asking.

But how does Japan Railways Group, the group of companies that operate the Shinkansen network, feel about all this? When asked, JR Central, which operates the Tokaido Shinkansen that connects Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, said:

“Answering in accordance with the terms and conditions shared by all six JR passenger companies, as stipulated in the Passenger Business Regulations, reserved Shinkansen seats are held for the bearer of the corresponding ticket, and cannot be used by any passenger other than that ticketholder.”

That might sound strict, but it’s not an arbitrary stance. Unlike with an airplane, where all the passengers will board and exit the vehicle at the same time, the Shinkansen makes multiple stops along its route, with any number of people getting on or off at the stations along the way. For example, if you’ve reserved seat 5A for a ride from Tokyo to Nagoya, someone else may have booked that same seat between Nagoya and Kyoto, farther down the line. So if, shortly after the train pulls out of Tokyo Station, you give up your seat to someone who’s riding all the way from Tokyo to Kyoto, when the person who booked 5A after your stint gets on the train in Nagoya, there’s going to already be someone else sitting in their seat. They’re then going to have to ask them to move, but that person is probably going to ask them to give up their seat too, meaning that the from-Nagoya passenger essentially has to negotiate for the seat they paid for after boarding. That extra annoyance could trigger arguments between the two parties, and also extra shuffling around of people, luggage, and personal items at a time when JR would really like everyone to settle in as the train gets underway again.

▼ As for why you were going to Nagoya, it was for the Shinkansen/Final Fantasy VII collaboration, naturally.

In its statement, JR Central also explained that giving up your reserved seat to swap with someone with a non-reserved seat is not allowed. The logic here is pretty easy to see, since reserved-seat tickets cost more. There’s an argument to be made that if a passenger wants to trade their more expensive seat for a cheaper one, then they should be able to do so, but this creates an operational complication. On-board JR staff members periodically come by to check tickets, and if someone in a reserved seat has a non-reserved ticket, it’s going to look like they’re stealing someone’s seat, and since reserved and non-reserved seats are in different cars, it’s not like the staff can quickly confirm with the reserved ticketholder that they’ve agreed to waive their right to the reserved seat.

All that said, provided you and the person asking you to switch seats are traveling on identical sections of the route, and have both booked reserved tickets, you can probably get away with swapping since it ends up as a no-harm, no-foul kind of deal. Still, you’re not under any obligation to do so, and JR has your back if you decide to say “Sumimasen, sore wa dekimasen,” (“I’m sorry, I can’t do that for you”) and the company says that if anyone does try to pressure you or otherwise is making you feel uncomfortable about not giving up your rightful seat, please inform a staff member so that they can deal with them and you can get back to enjoying your trip.

Source: Maido na News via Livedoor News via Hachima Kiko
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