Train leaves 20 secs early, Japan rly ‘deeply sorry’

Tokyo, November 17

A Japanese railway operator has issued a deep apology for the “tremendous nuisance” caused by a train departing 20 seconds early, surprising even a nation renowned for both punctuality and politeness.

The Tsukuba Express train linking Tokyo and the capital’s northern suburbs pulled out of Minami Nagareyama station at 9:44:20 instead of 9:44:40. “There was no complaint from customers,” said the firm, which added that no one missed the train because of the early start.

Japanese railway services are famous for their world-beating punctuality. Even the slightest delay prompts an effusive apology from the train guard, which often lasts longer than the hold-up itself.

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With trains running the same route every few minutes to cope with huge numbers of passengers, even brief delays can back up the whole network causing overcrowding.

Stations in Toyko employ dozens of staff, with their famous white gloves, to ensure the prompt departure of trains and to manage the crush during rush hour.

The train firm said it was “surprised” by the attention the story was getting, saying: “We have issued similar apologies before.”

“What matters is not the 20 seconds... The point is that our formal procedure should be this: a sound rings 15 seconds before the departure, followed by an announcement asking for caution due to the closing doors, and then the doors shut,” he said.

Lax management could cause safety problems in the future, the spokesman said.

But the apology had several social media users scratching their heads. “This is surprising even to Japanese,” said one user. 

“A weird country in which a 20-second difference prompts a sincere apology while faking quality data on aluminium and steel products or misconduct on car check-ups are done just like that,” another tweet read.

This was a reference to a recent string of corporate scandals that has floored the reputation of Japan Inc. — AFP