Sumimasen, oshitemo daijoubu desu ka? - Pushing people into the crowded trains

On an average, three to four visitors of this blog comes from a google search for “Pushing people into the train in Japan”. The google analytics gave this statistical data of visitors from different parts of the world to this blog. It was interesting to know that people from 79 countries out of 167 countries searched for “Pushing people into train in Japan”. This shows the popularity of this “pushing” in Japan in the outside world.

It took around 10 months after reaching to Japan for me to realize this phenomenon and on November 2008 for the first time I noticed one such pushing. I might have come across similar scenes but could not have noticed while rushing for own entry into the train. As many things are unique for Japan, it seems, this pushing people into the train is one the unique phenomena to Japan. I like to call it ‘phenomenon’ irrespective of the creation of this action. It might have formed as part of the subway journey requirements over a period of time.

Unlike in many other countries, the subway discipline is much stronger and strictly followed in Japan. Even if the trains are late due to some unexpected reason, passengers keep their patience. Japanese people generally would not deviate from their disciplined behavior and they follow the beeline into the trains too even if they know that they are going to be late if not rushed to the crowded trains. Trains towards Tokyo are terribly crowded in the morning hours. For almost all, it is a rush holding the time in hand. If any of the connecting train is missed or becomes late, reaching at the office will be delayed. Being late to the office is considered a shame in Japanese companies, where work is given the topmost priority.

What prompted me to write this blog post with a heading like ‘Sumimasen, oshitemo daijoubu desu ka?’ is one of the interesting conversation heard recently in the crowded Toei Shinjuku train, which I could managed to board from Higashi Ojima to Morishita. There was snow in the morning and due to troubles in the Keisei line, the trains in the Shinjuku line were also got delayed. I think, this was the reason for delay, if my understanding of the announcement in Japanese language made on the platform was correct! I have to frankly admit my inability to catch Japanese words.

When the train stopped at Nishi Ojima station, two stations from Higashi Ojima, and the doors opened, I could see many ‘heads’ waiting outside that were eager to enter to the train. Hardly there was space for them enter. The people inside the train were already crammed that entry of some more people into the train was almost impossible. It was hard for the closed door to open at the Nishi-Ojima station as the crowd inside was sticking to the doors. The time was almost 9:00 and everybody knew that they were going to be late in the office. That might had been the same feeling of people waiting at the platform too.

I was sure, only one or two managed to put their legs into the train, but with them in that position the doors could not be closed. It was then the driver appeared on the scene. The two passengers who managed to put their legs inside the train were struggling to get their body inside when the doors tried to close. It was impossible to close the doors with their body almost outside!

I could see the ‘heads’ and hear some sounds. I could hear a male voice asking ‘Sumimasen, Oshitemo daijoubu desu ka?’ and then a female voice ‘onegaishimasu’. Then the crowd inside felt a ‘Push’ from outside. The pressure from outside might have pushed the owner of the female voice inside the train! We were almost squeezed and there were grudges and exhaling sounds inside. The doors were closed and the train moved.

For me, the incident was an opportunity for revision and practice of one of the often used Japanese words ‘Oshimasu’. Oshimasu is one of the Japanese words I learned in lesson 16 of Minna no Nihongo I book. Oshimasu is the polite form for pushing or pressing. Minna no nihongo have examples of sentences using oshimasu and osu to. Osu is the dictionary form of Oshimasu. We learned the oshimasu, oshite, oshita, osanai and osu form to make sentences where we need to press or push any kind of button or keys.

Use of Oshimasu in subway trains to push the people into the train was a new knowledge for me. I went skeptic on what I might have heard. When confirmed from friends and sensei, I got an idea of the usage of oshimasu in subway trains also. The meaning of the conversation ‘sumimasen, oshitemo daijoubu desu ka?’ is ‘excuse me, is it OK if I push you?’ and the female voice replied politely ‘Yes, please (do)’.

This is not really an extraordinary or odd incident to write a blog post, but being a foreigner having no such experiences in the past, it stimulated me to think of the discipline, obedience, politeness and after all the compassion in the society where I do live. Is it not the manifestation of ‘compassion’ in Japanese society that I have heard through the words ‘sumimasen, oshitemo daijoubu desu ka?’ I mean the compassion in the sense of consideration, care, concern and kindness. I do not intend to use compassion in the meaning of ‘sympathy’ or ‘empathy’ here. Pushing people into train is a form of that consideration from the side of the person who pushes passengers into the crowded train. He helps them to reach their offices in time!

The silence before and after a tempest - the typhoon Melor battered life in Japan

The morning was very calm today and it provoked to think about the calmness before the storm. Before and after a tempest the nature is calm and peaceful. The silence sometimes is interpreted as the silence before a tempest. There were reports that the typhoon Melor will hit Tokyo today.

Today morning I got the message in mobile from the school where my daughter studies that the ‘School closed due to typhoon’. It was then I got the seriousness of the Typhoon that has already started hitting Japan landfall.

The typhoon named Melor brought heavy rain and wind to the Japan mainland. When viewed the movement of the typhoon at 7 a.m in the morning today, the typhoon was around 200km away from Tokyo. My colleagues had informed me that effect of Melor will not be so serious in Tokyo compared to the other parts of Japan. And this was the reason I got up as usual and became ready to go to office. We were little bit worried about sending our daughter to school and now by receiving the message from school that worry was also cleared. However small the typhoon will be, it is not safe for the children to go to schools.

There was heavy rain when I stepped out of the apartment and I could not open the umbrella. Since the Komatsugawa exit of Higashi Ojima, Toei Shinjuku line is only a half minute walking distance away from our apartment, I could manage without opening the umbrella though it was raining.

One thing I like to repeat about the admirable attitude of Japanese people is that almost all of them do not fear to go out even during the heavy wind. I have noticed this attitude before also. Japanese people are well trained on how to respond to the natural calamities like earthquake and typhoon it seems. The houses are connected to a centralized alarm system that will announce the danger during or at least in advance of the natural calamities.

There may be much damage and disaster at different parts of Japan. There were reports of death and some 64 people injured in the evening. The typhoon Melor had destroyed many houses, many thatched roofs were collapsed, disrupted life partially in the busy parts of Tokyo.

Some of my friends were trapped in railway stations for hours in the morning. Many trains were cancelled and many of them were running slow and late than scheduled. Some offices and companies declared holiday. Somehow I could manage to reach upto Monzen Nakacho by Toei Shinjuku train and then Toei Oedo line.

There was a huge crowd waiting at the Tozai platform of Monzen Nakacho. I stood at the behind and waited for the train to come. It took around 12 minutes for the train to come. Usually Tozai trains will be arriving at this station at every 3 to 4 minutes during morning. Train was already packed and the driver pushed me from outside in order to close the door. I have written about pushing people into the train in this blog before also. It really helps us to reach at offices in time.

Typhoon Melor is now moved to the northern region of Japan. Melor did harm the normal life at the central parts of Japan. Flights were cancelled and businesses were affected. It was reported that around 315 flights were cancelled and thousands of people were evacuated to reduce the casualties.

The sky was cleared by 11 p.m and there was only wind blowing with moderate speed in the evening. Internet newspapers were full of news that Japan battered by typhoon.

I was interested to know the meaning of Melor and found it is a Malay (Malaysian language) word meaning ‘Jasmine’. Some sites suggests that the word Melor in the West has its roots in Russia. Melor in Russia is an abbreviated form of Marx Engels Lenin October Revolution. Since the typhoon came on October the name Melor suits, though it did not bring any revolution, except some disaster!

Pushing commuters into the train in Japan – A page from daily life in Japan

Today there was an unusual crowd in the Toei Shinjuku line in the morning. Generally everyday morning travel is on the heavily packed trains. Most of the commuters will get down at Morishita.

Yesterday due to heavy wind, there were some delays in the Tozai line. I heard an announcement in Japanese saying that something happened in the Tozai line due to wind and trains will be delayed. Combined with the common sense I guessed the rest part of the announcement. My Japanese speaking level is still at low!

Later in the evening while watching television (terebi in Japanese) I realized the danger effects of the storm. There was an accident in the Narita Airport and two pilots of FexEx courier service met with death. 16 of the international flights were cancelled due to the accident.

Heavy wind is not an uncommon thing in Japan, especially during season changes. Japan is witnessing a season change at present. The winter is just finished and the spring will start within a few days. The start of spring will bring more colors to the life of Japan. Sakura trees are getting themselves prepared to welcome the spring. It is a festival to the eyes, the Sakura flowers blossom. The cherry blossom is typical to the Japanese life and it is almost symbolic to the psyche of Japanese people.

Coming back to the crowded train today, I have been witnessing a strange scene at railway stations for many months. I have seen crowd in the railway station and crowded trains in my country also. But in Japan what is strange is the station staff help to push people inside the train. They use all their energy to push commuters inside the train. Japanese people are co-operative and they adjust to the maximum extent. When the trains are crowded or otherwise too, Japanese people do not make any noise. They are silent throughout the journey and walk out of the train without making any noise. They move in line slowly towards the escalator to the exit.

Most of the commuters will have a book with them. They are busy with their book while waiting for the train and travelling. Some people read while walking also. This keeps them busy with the things they like to do rather than looking around and talk with others and making public nuisance. The public discipline of Japanese people is noteworthy to mention here. How to bring a whole nation to such a military discipline?

When the station crew push the struggling passenger inside, people inside adjust themselves as far as they can to accommodate one more co-passenger. Pushing passengers is the typical thing I have seen in Japan.

Japanese obsession towards cleanliness makes the crowded trains also tolerable. The passengers are clean and gentle. They wear decent clothing that makes the journey comfortable even in such a crowed train. Public morality is also high in Japan. The reasonably low crime rate and immoral activities at public places makes the public life in Japan more convenient.

This is just a page from the daily life in Japan, not representing any reinforced ideas based on many years of experience. As some of my friends like to comment on my views, probably I am yet to know the real Japan! Wonder I though how different it will be than what I have been passing through!