Many of us may be familiar with escalators, as they can be found in almost all parts of the globe, but when it comes to these mechanical stairs in this East Asian country, it wouldn’t be left without adding any Japanese touches to it. Escalators in Japan are everywhere — malls, railway stations, administrative buildings, you name it and there’s a high possibility for that place to have at least one escalator!
However, when riding escalators in the land of rising sun, there are certain implicit rules or norms that ought to be followed, or at least are followed by the public on a day to day basis. Such things may save you from embarrassment, if know them before hand!
So when ever one rides or walks onto an escalator, you need to cling on to either side of the mechanical stairs, standing idly in the middle is simply not an option and might make others around uncomfortable!
How to ride an escalator (or which side of the escalator one needs to stand) is different from city to city. Below mentioned are some major cities of Japan and we would like you to guess which side of the escalator the populous of the city follows -
- Osaka 2. Tokyo 3. Fukuoka 4. Kyoto
Answer. — 1. Right 2. Left 3.Left 4. Left
One may wonder as why the norm of riding escalators in Osaka is different from the rest?
It could be all traced back to the World Expo of 1970 that was held in the second largest metropolitan of the country, the city expected a huge amount of foreigners and as most of the people from around the globe tend to ride on the right side of the pathway, the local customs had to be changed accordingly. So the urban legend says.
While riding escalators, just try to keep these simple things in mind -
- Watch your step, or more precisely, watch out on which side of the escalator you are standing onto.
- Keep an eye on your briefcase or handbag, if you have any.
- Do not stand in the middle occupying all the space for yourself. While at certain times when the escalators are of a small width it might be totally acceptable!
- Try to hold on to the handrail.
Following the crowd may not be the best option for you to favor, but as the above account suggests, it sometimes may just work especially in the case of Japan!
