transport
After riding on the Tube in London, our Japanese reporter is thankful for crowded Tokyo trains.
Rail staff were put to the test as they guided passengers through tunnels and emergency slides during their busiest hours.
It might look like brand new technology, but this surprising system is on a train that’s been running for more than forty years.
The world’s first elevated bus that glides over the top of moving cars began its first test run today in Hebei province, China.
A boat-inspired vehicle and a three-wheeler with built-in protection from the elements have been created in conjunction with a respected Japanese architect.
Now you can enjoy the beauty of a high-speed rail journey through Japan with this collection of exclusive picture-perfect cans.
Amidst talks that strengthened the ties between the two countries comes news that you will soon be able to ride a Shinkansen in India.
Japan is well-known for its packed commuter trains. For decades, smartly dressed men and women have shuffled wordlessly into train cars each morning, all painfully aware that they will soon be getting up-close and personal with total strangers and have nowhere to run, hide, or even breathe freely until their stop. Glove-wearing station staff pack passengers in as tightly as they’ll go without them popping out the other side, each firm shove accompanied by a polite word or phrase thanking passengers for moving all the way inside the car or warning them to keep their various appendages clear of the (just barely) closing doors.
But earlier today, Japan was given a glimpse of a much more civilised, luxuriant commuting experience that may soon put an end to these sardine-can shenanigans. Better yet, this logistical revolution is coming soon: not twelve months from now, commuters will be able to zip into Tokyo in style, lying back in comfortable faux-leather chairs inside sleek, aerodynamic private pods that resemble something out of Minority Report.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the next generation of luxury travel, and its name is Kosoku.
This past year the Tokyo Metro has been brought to life in many different ways, ranging from a spaghetti-alien map to, well, a 3-D spaghetti-alien map. But it’s the latest re-imagining of the Tokyo Metro in the highly versatile SVG format that’s currently causing a lot of commotion online.
Japan has come out with some pretty awesome ideas over the years. Pocket calculators, instant noodles, even CD players were all born here, and while they were developed in response to the needs of the local market, their popularity quickly spread far and wide around the globe.
Now Japan is set to revolutionise the way we travel with a new product called the Walking Bicycle Club. Touted as the first big breakthrough in 200 years of the cycling industry, the new vehicle is powered by stepping, rather than pedalling, and is designed to make walking more fun. But how does it feel to ride a bicycle that looks more like a mobile step machine? We dropped by the store to find out.
On October 20 in Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province, a bus driver on his usual route made a sudden, unscheduled stop. The reason? To purchase some tasty-looking fish from a street vendor. According to passenger and eyewitness reports, the driver suddenly pulled to a stop by the roadside (no bus stop in sight!) and hopped down from his bus to purchase “several” fish, before hopping back into his driver’s seat and resuming his route. But was this a sudden impulse buy, or did the driver just really, really need some fish?
While dealing with the crowds and the creeps on public transportation may get on your nerves, it is usually the best way to save time and money. And last week, a Russian company unveiled a new futuristic streetcar that would make any weary commuter excited to go to work in the morning.
The next-generation streetcar looks like something out of a sci-fi movie with its trapezoidal shape and sleek black exterior. Click below to read more about the so-called “iPhone on rails” and which lucky cities are getting the tram of tomorrow!
In one of the few instances we can think of in which crime actually does pay, a Chinese bus passenger who spent years “ride-and-dashing” to dodge paying the fare repaid her karmic debt by depositing a total of 800RMB (approx. US$130) into the till boxes of two local buses.
Drivers of both buses apparently tried to reject her offering and have her pay the standard 2RMB fare (US$0.30), but the woman reportedly insisted, telling at least one of the drivers, “You’ve always been kind to your passengers. This is to repay the fare I’ve been skipping out on until now.”
MOST POPULAR
Now
Let’s learn Japanese with Steven Seagal’s entire filmography!
Man who refused to wear mask on airplane in Japan gets arrested four months later
Japan now has talking Evangelion ATMs
Woman asks for eight-hour taxi ride in Japan, arrested when she doesn’t pay gigantic fare
We cosy up to Starbucks Japan’s sexy new Frappuccino for Valentine’s Day
6 surprising things about having a baby in Japan
We tried making traditional Japanese sweets at home then had some fun with the leftovers
Casio’s Pikachu Baby-G is the perfect watch for Pokémon trainers
W.T.F. Japan: Top 5 most offensive Japanese swear words 【Weird Top Five】
Donald Trump parades around streets in Japan on the shoulders of Japanese supporters
Weekly
We try a rotating sushi restaurant in New Delhi, are surprised to find no rotating sushi
Genital manju sweets, with a dash of “pubic hair”, raise eyebrows in Japan
Japanese boy whom Ronaldo stood up for in 2014 becomes national soccer champion
Japanese media finds out if it’s cold enough to “fry” an egg on the street in Hokkaido
We taste the new Japanese KitKat, aged in whisky barrels in Islay, Scotland
English mistake on new Japanese beer leads to suspension of sales before its release
Pringles now comes in karaage flavour in Japan
NHK announces “substantial” fee reduction, Japanese Internet reacts with jeering
7-Eleven under fire in Japan for mysterious holes in their onigiri rice balls
Parents of bullied teenage girl who committed suicide commission portrait to “attend” Seijinshiki
Monthly
McDonald’s releases Katsu Curry Chicken McNuggets, but do they taste Japanese?
McDonald’s releases an Oreo and Spam burger for a very limited time
Top 100 manga of all time chosen by survey of 150,000 Japanese people
Mt Fuji looks unusual, sparks fears of possible eruption
Here’s why Japanese supermarkets play “cheap” background music all day, according to Twitter- English mistake on new Japanese beer leads to suspension of sales before its release
- We try a rotating sushi restaurant in New Delhi, are surprised to find no rotating sushi
Utada Hikaru sings, Eva fights Eva in jaw-dropping new trailer for final Evangelion movie【Video】- Japanese media finds out if it’s cold enough to “fry” an egg on the street in Hokkaido
Burger King releases new Whopper to ward off evil in Japan
Yearly
Nintendo puts out important notice for casual gamers who’ve bought a Switch during the pandemic
Jason calls off Friday the 13th activities due to coronavirus
Japan goes beyond rice cookers with new curry rice cooker, the kitchen gadget we need right now
Studio Ghibli releases 400 images from eight movies free to download online
A Pokémon glitch no one discovered in 18 years has been found…by a pet fish in Japan?!?【Videos】
Customers race to Uniqlo for new summer face masks, but are they really worth the hype?
Parasite movie releases free official wallpapers to download as backgrounds for video calls
Japanese students hold graduation ceremony in Minecraft amid school cancellation
Man sheds half his body weight, looks like a handsome model in just one year
Japan’s one-person bento box-sized rice cooker can give you freshly cooked rice at the office
RECOMMENDED STORIES
6 surprising things about having a baby in Japan
We tried making traditional Japanese sweets at home then had some fun with the leftovers
Casio’s Pikachu Baby-G is the perfect watch for Pokémon trainers
W.T.F. Japan: Top 5 most offensive Japanese swear words 【Weird Top Five】
Donald Trump parades around streets in Japan on the shoulders of Japanese supporters
Four photos, five years – A father’s beautiful pictures of his daughter growing up at Nara temple
We experience what a real Okinawan beach party is like with the help of a local
Amazing exhibition of Japan’s legendary “cursed katana” is going on right now【Photos】
One of Japan’s best whiskies, Hakushu 12 Year, is returning after two years of being sold out
Top 100 manga of all time chosen by survey of 150,000 Japanese people
One Piece characters’ nationalities revealed, but fans have mixed opinions
7-Eleven under fire in Japan for mysterious holes in their onigiri rice balls
Anime song dance performance group Real Akiba Boys: combining the otaku life with street dancing
-
