Taking the Train - Stereotypes of Japan

To date I have taken nine intercity trains in Japan (excluding the many commuter trains in Tokyo). Here are a few things that have struck me, although they don’t surprise me given all I had heard and read over the years. I guess they just prove the facts and further show how engrained respect for people and property is in this beautiful country.

1) The Shinkansen that I rode on from Tokyo to Nagoya pulled in from some other part of Japan at my platform about 15 minutes before the scheduled 12:33 departure - although right on time for its arrival from wherever it was arriving from. It emptied itself of its passengers and the ladies clad in pink took over. They boarded, closed the doors of the cars and got to work. We were lined up outside and watched the show through the windows. Here is what they accomplished in 15 minutes in a train that was 12 cars long.

-turned all the chairs around to face in the other direction (our train was going to head back the way it came)
-removed the white linen headrest covers and replaced them with new ones
-wiped down all the arm rests
-scrubbed down all seats and seatbacks
-made sure all the doohickeys that hold up the seatback tables were vertical
-vacuumed the car
-checked and rechecked their work
-when they were done, the doors opened and they thanked us for waiting and greeted us

2) These trains really are on schedule. I don’t mean that they arrive within five minutes of the scheduled time (which I would find on time). They arrive at a station and leave that station at precisely the minute they are scheduled to. No hanging around waiting for late comers. They run on exact time. I have not yet had one train that has been even one minute late arriving or departing.

3) Upon entering a car the crew (all of them - conductors, stewards, stewardesses, others) announce their arrival in words and by bowing. A man will remove his cap. When they reach the other end of the car they turn to fact the passengers (even if we are all facing the other way) and bow again. The conductor says please and thanks to every passenger when requesting tickets. The respect for the customer is felt and appreciated.

4) You can buy just about anything from the catalogue found in the seatback - ties, bras, shelves, heaters, pots and pans, food, chairs that look like a hamburger, foot massagers...it goes on. I found this one most interesting: Canada Green Lawn Grass Mixture, Canada No. 1 Mixture, two pounds (908 grams) for the small sum of 8190 Yen. At the approximate Yen to Canadian dollar exchange rate this amounts to $104. For two pounds of grass seeds!!! I never thought the lawns back home were particularly nice.....

Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!