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Comment by GuB-42 | Hacker News Reader

Every metro feels like a miserable experience when compared to what you have in Tokyo. This extends to trains in Japan in general. Transport is expensive in Japan, but quality is unmatched on all aspects I can think of: timeliness, reliability, service, comfort, security, cleanliness, extensiveness,... From what I've heard, working for JR (Japan Rail) is considered a honor.

I think the Paris metro is average-good compared to my experience in other countries. It has its quirks, and strikes are a thing but I have used it extensively (I have lived in Paris for several years) without big problems, and I arrive most of the time within a few minutes of the expected time (in Tokyo, that's seconds!).

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> working for JR (Japan Rail) is considered a honor

Also the thing to remember is that part of the reason JR works so well is because of the defined career path.

For example, you don't just become a Shinkanzen driver, you have to follow the career path:

    - Work two years as station attendant
    - Work two years as a conductor
    - Work two years as a standard (non-Shinkanzen) train driver

Only then can you progress to the Shinkzansen training and examination.

The result is you have people working on the railways who are intimately familiar with both the system as a whole and the impact they and their actions can have on others. Which is a very Japanese thing, life is not just about you but your impact on others around you.

When I was in Tokyo a couple of years ago I didn't find transport expensive.

As a foreign tourist from presumably from NA or Western Europe, then it will seem pretty affordable compared to your home country. Relative to Japanese cost of living and average income however, certain lines and services can be pretty expensive (particularly the shinkansen and certain JR services).

> Every metro feels like a miserable experience when compared to what you have in Tokyo

I’ve never taken it, but I’ll note I’ve never personally taken public transport to match Bangkok’s BTS and MRT, which are both excellent, although it’s very irritating they haven’t implemented cross-system billing yet

Unless you're traveling in pick hours and the train is so overcrowded that you can't even lift you hand inside...

Unavoidable except if you price it up so much that people start using the car again. For the same reason why there will always be be traffic jams no matter how many streets there are and how many lanes they have.

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