The top 5 ways to sleep on a Japanese train

Bet he hasn't missed his stop!

Following my post explaining why Japanese sleep on trains, I thought it might be a good idea to give you a run down of the most popular sleeping positions adopted by the locals. After all, everybody sleeps on the train! You just have to know how to do it without looking like a fool! So without further delay, here are the top 5 ways to sleep on a Japanese train.

Why do Japanese people sleep on the train?

I’ve officially been in Japan for a year now and one thing that has had me puzzled all along is the phenomenon of people sleeping on trains. It’s hardly uncommon to get on a train in the morning and see a whole row of people fast asleep. The way in which Japanese people can fall into (and come out of) a deep sleep so quickly is simply amazing!

That's what it's all about!

If you’re like me, you’ve seen these people and you’ve been green with envy. If you’re like me, you already know that you simply can't allow yourself to fall asleep on the train for cultural and psychological reasons. It's not really common to sleep on the train in the West (or at least in the UK) but when you consider the next few points, it’s quite easy to see why sleeping on the train is both safe and socially acceptable in Japan!

"Your Japanese is very good!"... really?

Is this is how Japanese people view foreigners?

We all know that Japanese people are well known for their kind nature, but are your Japanese skills really as good as they make them out to be? The answer to that question is a tricky one and there are a few reasons why this causes so much confusion among learners of the Japanese language.

The Chopstick Ultimatum

This will definitely happen to you at least once in a Japanese shop selling food as long as you look remotely non-Asian, but the frequency at which it occurs will vary depending on your level of Japanese, as well as whether you are dressed like a tourist or someone who might possibly be living in Japan for the medium to long term. Usually they will want to avoid any potential risk of the beginnings of a disastrous English conversation, but the ones with a more courage will pop the big question....

What are you looking at?

The Japanese Konbini

Having moved into my company apartment with no internet access and possessing a bank account of which the funds are rapidly drying up, I’ve had plenty of time to sit here and (aside from doing basically nothing) reflect on some funny but also fantastic things about Japan. Although I’ve been here for the best part of a year now, it’s taken me this long to sit down and really take in everything that has happened over the past eleven months. 

No Conbini is complete without countless signs and posters!

I hope that anybody who currently lives (or has ever lived) in Japan can relate to this and have a small chuckle! For those of you who have not yet been to the land of the Rising Sun, I hope that this will act as a primer for the kind of environment you will experience! I’ve got plenty to talk about but let’s just focus mainly on two funny and strange (but interesting!) things about the Japanese convenience store!