No Pokémon Cards on the Shinkansen?! A Game Sparks Debate

When riding Japan’s shinkansen (新幹線; bullet trains), there are basic rules everyone should follow. Most of them are common sense. But this week, a Japanese comedian sparked a debate over whether the rules need an addition that bans Pokémon card games.

The basic rules (probably)

Japan’s shinkansen network of high-speed trains is a fantastic way to get around the country. It’s especially convenient for foreign visitors, who can purchase a discounted rail pass to gain all-you-can-ride access to most of the lines operated by the JR Group[1].

Of course, with great power comes great responsibility. Whenever taking any form of mass transit, you should be mindful that you’re not the only person occupying Planet Earth.

There are no official rules for what you should or shouldn’t do specifically when riding the shinkansen. Of course, that hasn’t stopped people from putting together some handy guides. The site Shufuse has a quick punch list:

• Don’t fully recline your seat without asking the person behind you if it’s okay;
• Don’t talk too loudly;
• Don’t talk on your phone;
• Don’t camp out in the toilet (please for the love of God);
• Don’t hammer on your computer keyboard so loudly it sounds like the approach of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (guilty as charged); and
• Don’t leave your trash in your seat, you filthy animal[2].

Another area requiring mindfulness? Food. It’s perfectly okay to eat on the shinkansen. Indeed, eating ekiben (bento boxes bought at the station for consumption on the train) is a time-honored tradition. Many people like to make their own bento to enjoy. Just don’t bring anything on the train with an overpowering smell, like curry or McDonald’s[3].

In other words, if you ride the shinkansen, there’s no reason to stress over a particular set of rules. Just abide by Wil Wheaton’s rule of “don’t be a d*ck” and you should be fine.

A true violation of manners

People laud Japan as a populace of extremely polite citizens. But as we like to point out constantly on Unseen Japan, the country is full of people. And no matter where you live, people inevitably act in crazy, unpredictable, and downright rude ways.

Japanese talent Ehara Masahiro recently lit up his own Twitter with a tale of shinkansen rudeness. Ehara went to take his seat on the aisle. However, the person who was sitting in the window seat decided to stow their luggage in front of Ehara’s seat. (Don’t do this, people. There’s a luggage rack near the front of your car. Use it.)

Instead of immediately moving their bag, the grumpy passenger flashed Ehara their ticket. Apparently, they thought the celeb was trying to claim their seat. “That’s not what I meant,” he shot back – at which point the passenger sullenly moved their bag out of the way.

Thoughts and prayers to this poor, deluded passenger who thought buying a seat gave them rights to the entire aisle. (And who failed to recognize they were being a grump-ass to someone with 1.8 million Twitter followers.)

But what about your Pokémon game?

This week, however, a new challenger entered the etiquette ring. And it sparked a debate over whether what happened was really マナー違反 (mana ihan, manners violation).

The discussion started when comedian Tajima Yaoya, one half of the comedy duo Identity, live-tweeted from his train: “Excuse me, someone in the know tell me…how long does a Pokémon card game last? I’m sitting in the shinkansen, seat 3 by the window, but the dudes next to me are buds & spread their cards out on the table and started a battle. I can’t get to the crapper. The pressurrrreeeee….”[5]

Tajima’s comment got close to a million likes and sparked a huge debate. The top-liked reply urged him to force the issue: “If you wait, they’ll keep going til you reach your destination.” But the commenter also urged Tajima to be gentle with them because, after all, they’re just geeks playing a card game.

Another user suggested a more direct route: “Shout ‘my turn!’ and flip the table over – that’ll end his turn and you can get to the toilet.”

Some users went after the players, though. They maintain that blocking the window seat passenger in with a drawn-out card game is bad manners. 2chan founder Hiroyuki weighed in on this debate, saying “we shouldn’t be making rules like ‘no card games on the shinkansen’ over something that can be resolved simply by speaking up.”

For its part, JR Group, which operates Japan’s eight shinkansen bullet train lines, was careful not to take a stance that would piss off Japan’s Pokémon fans. Their only comment was, “We ask that all passengers compromise with one another in their usage.”

Let this be a warning to all bullet train travelers. If you’re riding the shinkasen and in the middle of a card game while a comedian is crossing his legs in pain by the window, you may wanna pack it up and let him pass. Because relieving oneself by the window seat is definitely マナー違反.

What to read next

Promoting Japan’s Prefectures Through Punny Pokémon

Sources

[1] Japan Rail Pass English site

[2] 新幹線で絶対にしてはいけない『NG行為』6選. Shufuse

[3] 新幹線でご飯を食べてもいいの？持ち込んではいけないNGご飯とは？Yosemi 7

[4] エハラマサヒロ、新幹線でマナー悪い乗客に遭遇　「こんな人にはもう…」Nifty News

[5] Tajima Naoya’s Twitter account

[6] ひろゆき氏　新幹線内でのカードゲームはマナー違反？「おかしなルールを作る方が良くない」Tospo Web

[7] 新幹線でカードゲームはマナー違反？　芸人の「トイレ行けねぇ」が賛否、JR東海の見解は.