Recently, a post titled 'I want to know about Japanese train culture' appeared on a South Korean internet bulletin board.

The poster, who said they had traveled to Japan several times, stated, "In South Korean trains, there is fierce competition for seats, but in Japan, I often see empty seats that no one sits in, even when they are available. And I never see anyone talking on the phone or speaking loudly."

They then added, "Why don't Japanese people sit in seats? If there's a rule that it's bad to sit or forbidden to talk, I'd like to know for my future travels."

In response to this episode, other internet users expressed agreement, saying: "Indeed, compared to South Korea, there isn't fierce competition for seats." "When I took a train during my trip to Tokyo, there were seats that no one sat in, and I hesitated whether it was okay to sit." "I'm always surprised by how quiet Japanese trains are."

Furthermore, voices speculating on the reasons included: "Perhaps Japanese people dislike physical contact with others." "Japanese train seats are not as clearly partitioned for individual passengers as South Korean train seats. So, I think people don't sit when it looks cramped." "Compared to South Korean subways, the station intervals in Tokyo are shorter, so it's not so tough to stand." "Because the station intervals are short, it's actually more of a hassle to sit down." "I think it's quiet because talking on the phone and speaking loudly on trains are generally considered bad manners."

On the other hand, other comments included: "I don't think there's any particular reason not to sit. I just started doing it that way vaguely after I began living in Japan." "In Japan, too, there's competition for seats during rush hours. For some reason, if the train is somewhat empty, people start to leave seats vacant." "Even in Japan, people not giving up seats to pregnant women or the elderly is a problem, so I think it depends on the time and situation." "While the impression of it being a breach of manners is stronger than in South Korea, there are also noisy people on trains in Japan." (Translation/Editing by Higuchi)