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Japan Keeps This Defunct Train Station Running for Just One Passenger

citylab.com

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Re: Japan Keeps This Defunct Train Station Running for Just One Passenger

#31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I was little I lived in the country for a while. I was the only kid at my stop. But at least when I got on the bus it was full of other kids, most of whom were also the only kid at each of their stops. This girl is the only person on the train.

I don't think that the article implies anywhere that this girl is the only person on the train . She is just the only passenger on her station .

Maybe something is being lost in translation, but the article starts with:

"The train makes only two stops—one when a lone high-school student leaves for school and the other when she returns."

The train makes two stops, rather than "the train stops here only twice". Both may be true, but the initial statement describes actions of the train rather than the station.

Re: Japan Keeps This Defunct Train Station Running for Just One Passenger

#32

Lovely story. Hats off to Japan Railways. I'm also happy that The Atlantic/Citylab decided to publish this story. And thanks 'hudibras for submitting it here! They say that it's the money that makes the world turn, and love only keeps it together. It would be easy for the Railways to ignore that girl. There's no economical reason to keep that station open. It's a waste of time and resources. And yet, someone decided…

The thing is, they (the headline) say "Japan", but this only happened because it's way out in the countryside where people have a "village mentality" of helping each other out (but the trade off is that everyone sticks their nose in your business). Japan railways itself split into several separate companies upon privatization. This would never happen in Tokyo. As much as we think of the country as being monolithic (i…

This comment is very odd to me. If I hear something positive about a country, I never hear: "Oh, but city X is not representative of the country." Until now.

Re: Japan Keeps This Defunct Train Station Running for Just One Passenger

#33

Lovely story. Hats off to Japan Railways. I'm also happy that The Atlantic/Citylab decided to publish this story. And thanks 'hudibras for submitting it here! They say that it's the money that makes the world turn, and love only keeps it together. It would be easy for the Railways to ignore that girl. There's no economical reason to keep that station open. It's a waste of time and resources. And yet, someone decided…

The thing is, they (the headline) say "Japan", but this only happened because it's way out in the countryside where people have a "village mentality" of helping each other out (but the trade off is that everyone sticks their nose in your business). Japan railways itself split into several separate companies upon privatization. This would never happen in Tokyo. As much as we think of the country as being monolithic (i…

As someone living in canada and visiting Tokyo for a week few years ago I complelty agree with you on "Tokyo is cold" statement,

however I don't think the original post was trying to idolize japan, at least I didn't see it that way. To me it was more of an observation that small acts of kindness happen all around us.

Re: Japan Keeps This Defunct Train Station Running for Just One Passenger

#34

Lovely story. Hats off to Japan Railways. I'm also happy that The Atlantic/Citylab decided to publish this story. And thanks 'hudibras for submitting it here! They say that it's the money that makes the world turn, and love only keeps it together. It would be easy for the Railways to ignore that girl. There's no economical reason to keep that station open. It's a waste of time and resources. And yet, someone decided…

The thing is, they (the headline) say "Japan", but this only happened because it's way out in the countryside where people have a "village mentality" of helping each other out (but the trade off is that everyone sticks their nose in your business). Japan railways itself split into several separate companies upon privatization. This would never happen in Tokyo. As much as we think of the country as being monolithic (i…

First train I took in Tokyo was the Narita Express. It was 20 minutes late so I missed the connection for the last "JR Pass"-eligible bullet train to Kyoto of the night. I had to buy a ticket for 18,000 JPY (~$150)

As far as I know, no one killed themselves.

Re: Japan Keeps This Defunct Train Station Running for Just One Passenger

#35

Lovely story. Hats off to Japan Railways. I'm also happy that The Atlantic/Citylab decided to publish this story. And thanks 'hudibras for submitting it here! They say that it's the money that makes the world turn, and love only keeps it together. It would be easy for the Railways to ignore that girl. There's no economical reason to keep that station open. It's a waste of time and resources. And yet, someone decided…

The thing is, they (the headline) say "Japan", but this only happened because it's way out in the countryside where people have a "village mentality" of helping each other out (but the trade off is that everyone sticks their nose in your business). Japan railways itself split into several separate companies upon privatization. This would never happen in Tokyo. As much as we think of the country as being monolithic (i…

Ah, the gray reality strikes again :).

I understand what you're saying and I agree. I am definitely not going to define the entire country by this single act. And you're right - I think that keeping the station open for this girl was only possible because it was a rural area and not a large city. Villages generally tend to be more laid-back, there is a lot more of space to introduce little inefficiencies without causing a disproportionate economic loss. And the mentality probably takes a part too.

Since you and sandworm101 decided to ruin the sublime mood by calling attention to the ordinary reality, let me play along. I do believe there may be another layer to this story. As much as I want to believe in the most positive interpretation, the choice to keep that station open could be a result of e.g. her influential family using their connections to keep the train stopping there. Or something completely unrelated. Media reports tend not to be very accurate, and decisions in real life tend to be made slowly and with multiple inputs.

But we don't know for sure. I am not going to idolize a country for a single story, but I choose to assume the most charitable interpretation, that this is in fact an act of kindness to another human. And so I believe people involved should be praised for that. We need more of such kindness in this world. We already spend too much time getting angry at stuff. Let's be joyful for once instead.

For whatever reason this train stops for the girl, whether it's "village mentality", external influence or honest good will, the fact is that there is this huge metal machine, driven by even greater systems and processes of our economies, and that mighty machine stops for one girl, to let her continue her education undisturbed. She could have been ignored, but she wasn't - and that is heartwarming, if you let it to be.

Re: Japan Keeps This Defunct Train Station Running for Just One Passenger

#36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think that the article implies anywhere that this girl is the only person on the train . She is just the only passenger on her station .

Maybe something is being lost in translation, but the article starts with: "The train makes only two stops—one when a lone high-school student leaves for school and the other when she returns." The train makes two stops, rather than "the train stops here only twice". Both may be true, but the initial statement describes actions of the train rather than the station.

That's definitely mistranslated. It's the station that only has two times of the day when the train stops there.

Re: Japan Keeps This Defunct Train Station Running for Just One Passenger

#37
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thing is, they (the headline) say "Japan", but this only happened because it's way out in the countryside where people have a "village mentality" of helping each other out (but the trade off is that everyone sticks their nose in your business). Japan railways itself split into several separate companies upon privatization. This would never happen in Tokyo. As much as we think of the country as being monolithic (i…

This comment is very odd to me. If I hear something positive about a country, I never hear: "Oh, but city X is not representative of the country." Until now.

[deleted]

Re: Japan Keeps This Defunct Train Station Running for Just One Passenger

#38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thing is, they (the headline) say "Japan", but this only happened because it's way out in the countryside where people have a "village mentality" of helping each other out (but the trade off is that everyone sticks their nose in your business). Japan railways itself split into several separate companies upon privatization. This would never happen in Tokyo. As much as we think of the country as being monolithic (i…

First train I took in Tokyo was the Narita Express. It was 20 minutes late so I missed the connection for the last "JR Pass"-eligible bullet train to Kyoto of the night. I had to buy a ticket for 18,000 JPY (~$150) As far as I know, no one killed themselves.

"One Japanese station manager committed suicide a few years ago because his trains were late"

Apologies, it was a station manager, not a conductor.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4480965.stm

Re: Japan Keeps This Defunct Train Station Running for Just One Passenger

#39
>“Why should I not want to die for a country like this when the government is ready to go an extra mile just for me,” one commenter wrote on CCTV’s Facebook page. “This is the meaning of good governance penetrating right to the grassroot level. Every citizen matters. No Child left behind!”

Ironically, the railway is a private one, i.e. Japan Railways Hokkaido[0] is private corporation, not a government agency. And yet the company executives, and to a lesser extent, the shareholders, okayed this arrangement. I can't imagine this happening anywhere outside of Japan.

There's a similar phenomenon in the UK called "ghost trains"[1] that's only superficially similar. Basically there's a ton of bureaucracy in closing down a line, so instead of actually closing a line, we just run an unscheduled and unannounced "ghost train" through it once a week.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaido_Railway_Company

[1] http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150723-why-britain-has-sec...

Re: Japan Keeps This Defunct Train Station Running for Just One Passenger

#40
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thing is, they (the headline) say "Japan", but this only happened because it's way out in the countryside where people have a "village mentality" of helping each other out (but the trade off is that everyone sticks their nose in your business). Japan railways itself split into several separate companies upon privatization. This would never happen in Tokyo. As much as we think of the country as being monolithic (i…

This comment is very odd to me. If I hear something positive about a country, I never hear: "Oh, but city X is not representative of the country." Until now.

To be honest, that comment is objectively right in doing this. It's very easy to take a single, localized event - whether negative or positive - and start generalizing from it, reaching wrong conclusions.

Still, if one is to feel ashamed for the bad things happening within a group one associates with (e.g. their country), it's fair to also feel proud for the good things happening within that group.

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