Travelers to Japan should avoid taking the train during rush hour and should keep their luggage away from train doors and corridors, Quality Travel Development Association chairman Ringo Lee (李奇嶽) said yesterday, following complaints regarding Taiwanese tourists’ behavior.
On Friday, a Taiwanese netizen posted a photograph on Facebook showing a group of Taiwanese tourists in Japan blocking a train corridor with their bags.
The photo was taken on a Keisei Electric Railway Co train connecting Narita Airport with downtown Tokyo, the post said.
According to the post, as the train approached a major station, an announcement in Chinese, Japanese and Korean reminded the passengers to remove their baggage from the corridor to allow others to pass.
However, instead of heeding the announcement, the tourists laughed out loud before pretending to be asleep, the post said.
Several Japanese who witnessed the behavior began discussing where the tourists were from, the post said, adding that they first assumed that they were from China, but a person soon found that they were Taiwanese because of a sticker on one of their suitcases.
The netizen felt extremely embarrassed as a Taiwanese traveler riding on the same train, he said.
In Japan, trains are the most popular way of traveling between cities and airports, because taxis are expensive and buses have complicated routes, Lee said, adding that when taking the train with large baggage, it is important to follow the rules and not be rude.
Many Japanese rely on the train for their daily commutes and trains on major routes are extremely crowded during rush hours, Lee said.
Travelers should do research and avoid rush hours, or they could not only face uncomfortable situations, but also inconvenience other passengers, he said.
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