Why Tokyo's Metro Is Profitable and New York City’s Isn’t | WSJ U.S. vs. Japan

[@kevinjenner9502]

The fact that children as young as 5 ride the train alone, says more about Japanese society than the actual infrastructure itself.

[@Joseph-cf2wd]

That's because crime in Japan is one of the lowest in the world. They don't have land borders for illegal immigrants and drugs, the populace is largely ethnic Japanese so there are few racial tensions, plus practically no access to guns than here in US.

[@awellculturedmanofanime1246]

@@Joseph-cf2wd people love to say crime is underreported etc but its legit one of the safest places on earth with the exception of the usual domestic abuse etc which is still a ton better than most countries not that its good its just the way it is in every society

[@mosubekore78]

Isnt that dangereous for 5 years old kids to travel alone using train? Even in a safest country

[@だそ-t7g]

@@mosubekore78 But I actually took the train to school in Japan for 6 years from the age of 6 and it was never once dangerous.

[@christiangoulden4399]

Here in Vienna, public transport is seen as the preferable method to move around the city. Even with our imigration issues it would be regarded as safe for a young person to travel. There is a very good public safety awareness, and police usualy solve 90-100% of any major crimes comited in the city

[@eli128]

Another thing I noticed with Tokyo is all the stations are basically giant shopping malls with train platforms attached, they're destinations in themselves. So there is probably a lot of revenue coming in from that to JR East and the other station operators. Here in the US cities there often are no vendors at all in a train station, you can't even buy a coffee.

[@mcnuonuo]

A lot of the rail companies operate these shopping malls and Keio is also a real-estate company which builds houses and apartments along its train routes

[@w1z4rd9]

@@bigfrogs4207 Haha, no.

[@kennethisaac233]

@@kknn523 any idea why their healthcare costs are low?

[@kknn523]

@@kennethisaac233 They focused on continually reducing costs. The same reason their products are high quality and cheap. Also, they care about making it affordable, rather than Western nations which price gouge for profits.

[@rpvitiello]

Have you visited NYC? There’s huge shopping centers attached to transit stations. The WTC path station to the Fulton street station is basically a series of malls.

[@x-Musashi-x]

What amazed me so much was the cleanliness of the subway. It almost didn’t feel like a subway. I was so inspired by the overall cleanliness of Japan that I’ve become much better in my cleaning habits back home. I miss you Japan 🇯🇵 we’ll be back soon!

[@N.C.-wo3ey]

Because people behave like people not animals 😢. The culture is starts at home.

[@hammerr3]

Going to Japan marks you for life. I can’t wait to go back

[@taipizzalord4463]

You need to continue comparing US infrastructure to that of developed countries.

[@captain_context9991]

--Because its hilarious every time. I saw a big lecture on traveling in the US compared to traveling in Europe. And they said trains in the US, do the same speeds today as they did in 1953.

[@bngr_bngr]

@@captain_context9991have you been to Italy. Most of their trains are from the 50’s.

[@captain_context9991]

@@bngr_bngr Yes I have been to Italy, and Im going again in the summer. My favourite country to travel in. You can take a train between all their amazing little villages up and down the coast. Between hills and mountains. And you can bring your bike free of charge. Even a motorcycle on special carts. In fact... On the train out of Venice at night, is where I was when I met the woman I married. Every road, every path in the woods, every train track in Italy was laid hundreds of years ago. Back in HISTORY... Italy does not lend itself to high-speed trains. Or to the free-for-all speeds on their motor ways like there are in Germany. Or the 140 speed limits of France. The Italian countryside is very well built out with trains, buses, of all kinds. While MOST of the US is flat like a pancake, and has no excuse to not have virtually ANY working public transport. Even Russia beats America at this. China has built out 30 000 miles of high speed rail that goes 220 mph, the US has zero. And also has zero plans to ever make any.

[@bngr_bngr]

@@captain_context9991 if we stop giving money to countries like Ukraine, we can spend that money at home.

[@MidnightAspec]

@@bngr_bngr even we didn’t fund the Ukraine proxy war, we’d still not give mass transit a dime more……except for bogus transit studies.

[@andycarlson813]

It's about culture of Japan too. They are in general a culture that keeps things clean and maintained (which is a large component of efficiency). I visited a subway station in Japan that I would imagine was built/renovated in the 60s or 70s. There was a public restroom in the station and it was cleaner than some restrooms I've seen in nice hotels in the US.

[@Momowowo8]

This is not true - every other country other than US I have been to has clean railway:) in fact nowhere else in the world, even not in the third third third world country, will you see ppl defecating on public transportation.

[@kilojoule_kj]

Why is that you don't see people defecating at airports and shopping malls, but you see them in subway stations in the US? Think about that and also look at how Tokyo's subway train stations also generate revenue themselves (system owned store kiosks and convenience stores right within the stations generate rent income, amenities like lockers, ATM machines, photo booths, bring in extra revenue stream, etc.) and you'll figure out why they're able to have funds to hire janitors and security while the US subway stations which lack any revenue generating streams (only ad revenue) on their own and you'll figure out the why.

[@kilojoule_kj]

@@richardg1426 Was NYC Subway ever had a check-in/check-out system also that prevents criminals from making an easy escape? Most Asian transit use distance based fares where it's harder to dodge fares because there's an exit check. If you can't get out of the system, there's not much hiding to do as you're locked into the system

[@Waywind420]

You can't expect a homogeneous culture of people who have a shared set of values and care for their nation, and who are generally more intelligent and peaceful to be compared to a dysfunctional multicultural society with tense social division, low education standards and rampant drug/ gang activity.

[@critiqueofthegothgf]

do you think culture is genetic or do you not understand that given time and education, the culture will change too? some of these excuses are genuinely so pathetic

[@universalobsession9484]

I’m in Japan right now. And it’s embarrassing how advanced, clean and better Japan is than the New York. And I’m from New York I wanna stay here so bad

[@b3at2]

Ive been to Tokyo before; the train fares are insanely expensive, and different train lines are owned by different companies, and each has their own fairs they want to charge. You can easily blow through a 20-dollar Pasmo card in a few hours in Japan, whereas in NYC that would last you a few days to a week. Japan cities are also kind of claustrophobic... you look out an apartment window to see maintenance cooling rods, transformer boxes (all painted grey), piping, wires and mechanics --That is your view. No wonder the suicide rate is so high there. I was happy to get back home to wide streets and big rooms with big views. But I digress... NYC MTA just needs a big check from the government to make more upgrades.

[@universalobsession9484]

@@b3at2 I’ve been to Tokyo. And if you’re from New York you shouldn’t have that claustrophobic feeling because New York is basically the same if not worse apartments are so small in New York and soooo expensive for a BOX!! I didn’t stay in Tokyo I stay in Yokosuka and it was so quiet and peaceful and open. I do agree with the train fares tho. I don’t remember what I paid. but I remember the bullet train I took to universal studios was like 160 per person 😭

[@St4yfaded]

@@universalobsession9484did you come back to nyc?

[@whenly6690]

@@b3at2NYC train fare is actually free because most people just hop over 😅

[@iROChakri]

Probably hae never been to China, even many times more advanced lol

[@TheAdrianVillasenor]

Another aspect of Japanese transit that differs from the US is that many transit companies also double as developers/ real estate companies. This means they have diverse sources of income and a vested interest in maximizing the safety, convenience, and profitability of developments near their stations.

[@ricardokowalski1579]

Correct. And the video is incomplete without mentioning this ALSO: Tokio was razed to the ground and rebuilt in the 50s, so infrastructure was laid out much better with modern criteria and objectives

[@youcanpunchmeintheface]

Most of the operators build transit-oriented-development even way back in the 1960s to grow their railway patronage too. They are reaping what they have been sowing for decades now.

[@TheOnyomiMaster]

So, cities need to be burned to the ground and rebuilt every century? Got it.

[@mrvk39]

@@ricardokowalski1579 so, solution for NYC - just blast it out of existence and then completely rebuild.

[@ricardokowalski1579]

@@mrvk39 why would you rebuild NYC?

[@TheKewlPerson]

Best part about Pasmo and Suica is they not only work in just Tokyo, but pretty much everywhere in all of Japan. In cities as far from Kagoshima to Sapporo. They all work on each others systems. On the buses, subways, commuter trains, light rail, It even works on the Disneyland monorail of all places.

[@LinksRoyal]

this! the next level i would say is the Singapore payment system which uses credit card or payment via phone tap

[@sonozaki0000]

That sounds glorious. Not possible in the US due to size and the way things are segmented, but wouldn't it be nice to at least accomplish this statewide?

[@GATE12JPN]

By the way, instead of using a physical card, we can also use apps on smartphones and smartwatches. We can pay with Suica or PASMO at any store where electronic payment has been introduced. Convenience stores, restaurants, bookstores, clothes, home appliances...anything.

[@aa-dl8un]

​@@LinksRoyalクレジットカードまたは電話タップによる支払いでは日本の通勤ラッシュに対応できません。なぜなら改札を通る時の決済に時間がかかるからです。 日本のPASUMOやSUICAといったカードは、他のクレジットカードで使われているnfcよりも処理速度の早い type-fという日本独自の規格が使用されています。これには他のnfcとの互換性が無いので、日本の改札をクレジットカードで通る事ができる日が来るのは難しいと思います😢

[@SweetShimotekutafuto]

Suica and Pasmo can be used at grocery stores, konbini, and vending machines (if applicable).

[@dededengo32]

Japan's first railway line was Yokohama - Shinbashi (next to Tokyo) line built in 1872. The first subway line was built in 1927, between Asakusa - Ueno. Many Japanese railway companies have various sources of income like retail, hospitality, real estate, invested in the foreign real estate markets including the US, because they are private companies. Tokyu, for example makes only 18% of revenue from transport, 52% from retail and other services and 22% from real estate and 7% from hotels & resorts.

[@marmung6263]

Everything is privately owned in the US so why they stopped at Subway station and decided to make it unprofitable?

[@lqr824]

> Japan's first railway line was Yokohama - Shinbashi (next to Tokyo) line built in 1872. Fun fact: that original Shinbashi station is about 100m east of the current one. The current Shinbashi was originally called Karasumori, "Crow Forest," the old geographical name for this small area. Karasumori was only on the beginning Tokyo loop train line. After 20-30 years of running railways they had the realization that it's best land usage and rider convenience to make a railway corridor, and have all the parallel lines right next to each other. Since Shinbashi was so well known, they renamed Karasumori as Shinbashi. But the south exit of the current Shinbashi station is still called Karasumori exit. There's a shrine there called karasumori and I'm not sure if the shrine took its name from the area, or vice versa.

[@DieFlabbergast]

The point is that their retail and service outlets are located in or next door to their stations. The more people use their trains, the more revenue they get from non-transit sources. It's a win-win system for everybody.

[@harumih.3727]

From the riders viewpoint, Japan's infrastructure and subway and bus systems are far beyond the technology-only comparisons. Connectivity, cleanness, punctuarity, safety, disruption-free technology, and manners of users, all of these are into the consideration of the infrastructure in Japan. In summer, every station has a cooling sysyem and in winter, every station has a warming system.

[@ngc-ho1xd]

In Tokyo, the trains have heated seats in the winter.

[@iu2]

Meh. While Tokyo's system may be efficient, it's highly complicated for tourists. For example, the train you are on will change names as you travek along a line that will also change names, even though you never got off the train. How counter-intuitive. 🤔

[@harumih.3727]

@@iu2 Your perspective is only based on non-japanese views, because of lack of familiarity of the system and location names. From the tourist perspective, everyone can say the same thing. For example, New York subway system doesn't have an arrow sign on a platform indicating which side a train comes from and to. Also a tourist to Manhattan wouldn't know without a guidebook, the difference between the Avenue of Americas and the 6th avenue. You can say the same thing about any other foreign countries as long as you are a foreigner who never lives there. And your lack of familiarity doesn't have anything to do with the cleanness, punctuality of trains, public safety, connectivity and people's mindsets of how to treat the public interests.

[@iu2]

@@harumih.3727 "Your persepctive is only based on non-japanese views." Yes. That's what I wrote. What part of this did you not understand: "it's highly complicated for TOURISTS." You sound triggered. Why so upset? Because there are better metro systems elsewhere? Like not having to deal with molesters? Is that why Japan has women-only train cars? 🤦‍♂️Fail.

[@harumih.3727]

@@iu2 I wanted to tell you that your comment is out of point. My comment was about this video, and your comment was against my comment. Your "tourists" viewpoints have nothing to do with this video. Please read KZbin community guidlines.

[@Amaling]

Tokyo's metro system is a legit masterpiece. Not only are there an incredible amount of connections, but pretty much all these connections have an incredibly low amount of downtime waiting to hop onto the next train. Some times it's literally instant, which again when considering how many more connections there are... wow

[@etbadaboum]

This video is only scratching the surface

[@ykk-1]

列車間隔だけで言えばモスクワのメトロが世界一だと思う。あそこは80秒ごとに次の列車がやってくる。日本は昼間が最短4分間隔(東京メトロ銀座線など)で朝のラッシュアワーで2分間隔(JR東日本中央線快速列車)。

[@doublestrokeroll]

It's pretty cool. But it's not without it's flaws. Because it's so old, some transfers are very inconvenient, involving long walks and sometimes even going outside and then back in again. And having 3 different companies is still not as convenient as just one even with the card. There are better newer transit systems that are addressing those issues. Seoul and Taipei are examples. Still...I do love Tokyo's system. It's age and quirkiness give it a charm like not many other places.

[@高麗人参-c5u]

@@doublestrokerollソウルや台北は輸送能力の点で東京に遥かに及びません

[@doublestrokeroll]

@@高麗人参-c5u OK...that's got nothing to do with what I was talking about.

[@chikawatson]

I'm from Tokyo and now live in NYC. One nice thing about Japan is that pretty much every company pays for your commuting fares (a monthly ticket between your station and your office) and you can use it for personal purposes too. The video said that it's not a flat fare in Tokyo but because your company pays for it you don't really have to worry about paying to take a train.

[@あづき-n8e]

海外って自己負担なん？

[@Mwoods2272]

That also means the Metro isn't getting the full value from the commuter because of the discounted price. Just think of how much more profitable they would be if the commuters paid the full fare.

[@jame8618]

@@Mwoods2272goes to show a society where everything isn’t about money and profits like the US makes a brilliant society

[@PomaReign]

@@jame8618 Did you watch the video? Japan's system is more about profitability than the US. Have you worked in Japan? If you did you understand that Japanese work culture is far more harsh and corporate culture there is far stricter than the US. You don't know what you're talking about.

[@microproductions6]

This video still doesn't get to the heart of the issue, which is the difference in how the two systems are funded. They got so close to explaining it when they said Japan's subways remained profitable throughout the pandemic but then just stopped. The difference is that Japan's system is heavily funded by real estate and the tax revenue from land around stations. This is called "value capture". New York's system used to be funded this way, but sometime last century the US decided it was better to fund infrastructure expansion with debt rather than with value capture.

[@RKupyr]

Interesting.

[@SandySmith80]

When did we fund any mass transit facilities here through value capture? That's the secret sauce to the operating profit of Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway as well. Here we have storage yards with nothing built on top of them and subway station entrances built into privately owned buildings. I know of no subway stations in the four legacy cities (New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago) that have ancillary developments owned by the transit agency. Save for regional/commuter rail stations, most rail transit stations in the US have no development attached to them that the transit agency can earn revenue from. This needs to change.

[@neilmckay8649]

​@@SandySmith80 great points you make and makes me think that 'an integrated transport system' is not simply about moving but about the commercial aspects also.

[@coleball6001]

Tokyo’s Subways are not actually funded through taxes. In fact, Tokyo Metro has a farebox recovery ratio (Fare revenue minus operating expenses) of 119% in 2016. Meaning that they have 19% of their farebox revenue going to capital expenses or profits. They do get a decent portion of their financing through real estate. But, it’s not through real estate taxes. It’s through Tokyo Metro acting as a developer and landlord for those properties along their service route. Plus, Japan also gives business plenty of incentives to provide transportation for their employees that they acquire through Tokyo Metro and other transportation companies in Japan. Also, ads.

[@microproductions6]

@@coleball6001 Informative, thank you

[@aceboogisback9946]

As an American that has lived in Tokyo and traveled to NYC, as soon as I saw the video title, I laughed out loud. I knew this was going to be embarrassing for the USA. We need more of this, please.

[@mikelarry2602]

How big of a difference is it ?

[@aceboogisback9946]

@@mikelarry2602 As an American, the first thing you'll notice is that many of the stations are like shopping malls and have stores and restaurants in them. It's a lot cleaner, you won't see homeless people loitering or begging for money, everything's very orderly, and the music they play as they close the subway doors makes it feel like you're in an anime cartoon, lol.

[@AegisEdge]

It's absoulutely huge. Coming from experience.@@mikelarry2602

[@Digger-Nick]

As a black person you need to hold your people accountable, they're the reason we will never progress.

[@aceboogisback9946]

@@Digger-Nick black people aren’t “my people.” My people are my family, friends, and fiancé, some of whom aren’t black. Go gripe about about your racism to someone else.

[@bikeyoshiro]

I spent about 15 years in Tokyo as well as in Kanagawa Province without buying any cars. You can use the most efficient transportation system: trains, buses, subways and very local and slow trains for local residents. A few abandoned local railway stations have turned themselves into new tourist attractions, too. I miss that local slow trains service. You should ask a fan of Japanese Anime:Slam Dunk: where do you wanna go to Japan???!Thank you. 😊

[@th3thrilld3m0n]

The biggest reason for income not touched here that includes most Asian rail systems, including Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, to name a few, is land ownership around the stations. By owning and leasing the station and its direct surroundings, they can turn huge profits with large skyscrapers, business centers, malls, hotels, etc. all directly attached to stations. This also fosters a central hub for the station's local communities as a destination for residents to spend time and money at, rather than just passing through on a commute.

[@auxiliarypowerunit]

preach!!

[@Demopans5990]

Just imagine how not in debt the MTA would be if it only owned and leased out like what, 10 random buildings in Manhattan?

[@MalcolmRose-l3b]

@@taichii1120 Don't NYC's stations and trains have advertising? I'm sure they do - London certainly does.

[@kekberus1]

So basically just capitalism.

[@acex222]

@@MalcolmRose-l3b They do, but in Japan the advertising is extreme. Foreigners just don't notice because they can't read it .

[@thischickkej]

As a new yorker, i get annoyed daily by how pathetic our transit system is. It's genuinely so insane to me that despite being such a major city, the people in power don't do enough to make the changes that will make the system more efficient.

[@kickiniitbak]

Exactly! There are always delays and they’re always “fixing” something. The little patch jobs are not cutting it anymore. It’s filthy and not having a barrier or medium between the track and platform is also really dangerous with the amount of mentally unstable people. The entire subway system needs to be re-done.

[@nickhickley1]

The people in power don't ride the subway, so there's no incentive for them to make it better. We keep voting for them in spite of the fact that we get next to nothing for our tax dollars (except for the endless war that we wage overseas for the sake of geopolitics, whatever the human cost).

[@citrusjuicebox]

​@@nickhickley1 came here looking for this exact comment

[@lololololo359]

true

[@Brendonmakesmesmile]

Yet it is still the best in north america by a mile

[@danielryu7362]

When there is an issue caused delay Japan: I need to do something to make it better. US: I am not paid enough for doing this. That’s the difference

[@jgallagher1359]

N

[@brandonlee1488]

I lived in Japan for a year, and yeah, their public transit is the best.

[@XGD5layer]

Their city buses aren't as good though

[@andyjackson115]

I think Japan having the transit card work for all modes of transportation and even to buy things (essentially a cash card) also makes using the train, bus, or taxi so much easier. You don’t need to have multiple cards or even a credit/debit card. Just one card loaded with cash. It’s always surprising how transit systems here in the US are unable to find a way to use one card especially when it comes to those that are so intertwined like that of NJ and NY

[@rabbit251]

Yes, my Suica card can be used for the bus, the train, subway, convenience stores, vending machines, even my public city gym. And this is for everywhere all over Japan, not just Tokyo. Also, if you ride the bullet train here, it will include free rail transit at your final destination. For example, when I went to Osaka, I could continue using my ticket in the Osaka rail system until exited it. So when I went to Universal Studios, my ticket got me all the way to the USJ station.

[@honnjyukudo]

スイカの技術自体はソニーがセキュリティ認証用のカードでした、国鉄がそれを多方向に使えるように改良しており。 個々に運賃表のデータが改札に入っていて瞬時に送受信出来るので、カードのIDを読み込んでいるのでネットにバックアップを取って後から反映も出来るようにしてあり。 基本的に不可能はありません。 スイカが普及したのはいうまでもなく、ネットにつながってなくとも決済が出来ることで、ソニーが昔からあった技術(FeliCa)なのでソニーからICリーダーを買えば後はコンピュータソフトだけなので簡易的にも導入しやすかったんです。

[@benfelps]

it's not a technical problem in the US. The issue is everyone is trying to make money. All the payment systems are contracted out and municipalities compete with each other

[@rabbit251]

@@benfelps So how do you get the different systems in the US to co-operate? Seems to be a fundamental problem.

[@kilojoule_kj]

@@rabbit251 You need a standardized fare system and fare structure first that is set at the national level. Here, you have every state and municipality coming up with their own fare system and structure, some uses zones (METRA, NJ Transit) others uses flat rate (most municipal transit), others uses distance based (Amtrak, LIRR, BART, Metrolink, DC Metro) and every one of them have their own rules regarding seniors, who "children and students" are, whether disabled or veterans count, and they all issue separate ideas of what a day/weekly/monthly pass is (30 day or actual month to month), so there's no standardization nationwide.

[@user-th7kb1ey6e]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but the pink train on the thumbnail is not from Tokyo Metro. It actually runs on Keio Inokashira Line, a stretch of another private railway company called Keio Corporation, with no interconnection with Tokyo Metro.

[@VernonParker]

They didn’t mention how clean and orderly the train in Japan are. They failed to mention how a lot of stations also stop in shopping centers (above, below, or next to) and drive ridership. When I lived in Japan there was seldom a time I didn’t stop at a Lawson Station for a snack before getting on the train. Rarely a restaurant I wanted to try was not near the station I was using. The station was within walking distance and walking there was always a serene and safe thing.

[@jinsu0504]

they also failed to mention that we spend VAST amount of resources aiding and protecting other countries...a lot of these countries, including the top GDP nations, italy, JAPAN, use this protection to EXPONENTIALLY grow their economic status...while the US falls behind...the reason we had cities like NYC develop during the 1900s to 1940s is becuase we were never in foreign conflict....we tried to stay OUT of wars until pearl harbor happened...we need to leave these countries or have them pay the appropriate dues....so we can build our country and make it great again. trump-vance 2024

[@emjayay]

Subway systems in Paris, Amsterdam, London, Vienna and other cities have added numerous entire new subway lines and extended many existing lines in recent decades. The NYC subway has managed to add a few stations in that time.

[@robertewalt7789]

I was a student in London in the late 1960’s, worked in Tokyo in the early 1970’s, lived in or near NYC mid 1960’d through present. I certaintly observed how much more Tokyo and London subways have expanded vs. NYC.

[@szurketaltos2693]

US and especially NYC transit systems are incredibly expensive vs most other developed countries. NYC could have probably double the amount of lines if their construction costs were same as Paris, which btw is not particularly low -- Seoul is building much cheaper for instance.

[@MB-we4dx]

@@szurketaltos2693 US does not want to develop its train infrastructure because politicians are corrupt. There are lobbies for airlines, oil, cars who don't want Americans to ditch their cars and planes for public transportation.

[@cloudkitt]

Yes but at least NYC added those stations for triple the cost that Paris does.

[@After4th]

Like at 1/10 of the cost.

[@JunMukai]

As a Japanese who grew up in Tokyo but now lives in the US, indeed I'm always wondering how the public transportation in the US can be improved like the ones in Japan. But there are some problems of its own. As said in the video, Tolyo railways are so interconnected and the schedule is so dense, so that it is fairly easy to make domino effect of delays. One simple delay on one end of the tokyo area could cause huge trouble in the other end where a completely different rail company operates.

[@dampaul13]

"One simple delay on one end of the tokyo area could cause huge trouble in the other end where a completely different rail company operates" But the majority of lines/routes and train companies don't share lines and/or platforms. I can't think of any examples where, let's say, JR East and Tokyo Metro share platforms and/or lines. For example, an issue in JR Yamamoto isn't going to affect any other JR Tokyo services, let alone any of the Tokyo Metro system, or any of the other providers. While an issue/delay might have flow-on issues for an individual service provider on that line, and customers using that service, it doesn't necessarily/usually impact other services, providers, and/or customers.

[@JunMukai]

@@dampaul13 JR East and Tokyo Metro indeed do not share the platforms/lines, but there are far more other lines in Tokyo. Keio, Seibu, Tokyu, Odakyu, to name just a few, all share lines directly with Tokyo Metro lines. Also keep in mind that Tokyo Metro is not just a single line, it is a combination of more than 15 lines inter-connected with each other. And of course, Tokyu shares lines with Kanagawa Metro lines too. Trust me, things are far more complicated than you think.

[@wo8go-andre-growndt]

This can be said about Japan as a whole. If Hanwa Line (a line in West Japan) delays, the Superexpress and lines in East Japan delays too.

[@norihiro01]

You could copy it exactly, but it would get covered in urine, and vandalized within a year.

[@shawndasilva]

Another key about Tokyo’s system is that most (99.9%) companies will pay for an employee’s commuter pass. But will not cover other forms of transportation

[@Mwoods2272]

The commuter pass makes the Tokyo system a revenue loser, because they aren't getting the full amount for the people that use it especially since they can use the pass to stop at any places between their home and job.

[@ufinc]

That's socialism

[@mikea5745]

@@Mwoods2272 It's not a revenue loser. Commuter passes generate quite a bit of revenue. The majority of JR's revenue comes from the land around stations - either operating stores or leasing the land. Having consistent commuters passing through is what really drives their profitability

[@mikea5745]

@@ufinc That's literally pure capitalism. Private corporations providing the benefit of transportation with a private rail/metro company

[@noseraph]

They didn't address that NYC subway is 24/7. Tokyo Subway shuts down every night from midnight to 5AM. 5 hours a day gives a lot of time for maintenance and cleaning, which goes far to explain why the NYC subway looks and smells like a sewer.

[@stephenspackman5573]

24 hour operation is one of the few things the New York subway famously does right. Urination on trains is not caused by 24 hour operation; it has more to do with presence or absence of public toilets and public decency.

[@bilbobaginutopi2284]

​@@stephenspackman5573 the 5 hours are also when the metro system does most of it's construction as not to inconvenience commuters during the day

[@stephenspackman5573]

@@bilbobaginutopi2284 Yes, but there are tricks to this. A third track that is used in rush hour, special events, and during overnight maintenance windows, or even doing single track operation at night. I'm not saying it's easy, but rather that it's worth doing.

[@bp83330]

So why 24/7, the demand really justifies it?

[@kikencorp]

it wouldn’t smell and look like a sewer if people didn’t treat it as such. The problem is the education, rather the lack of, of the general NYC citizen. Not long ago they shut down my nearest train station an entire weekend for track replacement and cleaning. It didn't take a week after they reopened for the track to be absolutely disgusting, full of trash. You don't even need to go to Japan to notice a difference, go to Chicago and see how their transit system (and city) look like. New York's biggest problem is newyorkers.

[@bluesbrothers7023]

The train on the right of the thumbnail image is the Inokashira Line, which runs above ground, not the subway. The Inokashira Line is a railway that connects Shibuya to Kichijoji.

[@牧鎌谷得]

In Japan, the term "through services" are pretty common in the railway world. Cities such as Tokyo has made the term subway or metro too ambiguous because most subway lines has through services with other private railways that connects to other cities. Such as the Tokyo Metro (Subway) Fukutoshin Line which connects with Tobu Railway's Tojo Line and Seibu Railway's Yurakucho Line and Ikebukuro Line on the north end and with Tokyu Railway's Toyoko Line in the south. The Toyoko Line also connects with the Yokohama Rapid Railway Line on it's other hand. Thus, commuters can get from Saitama Prefecture suburbs to Shinjuku, Shibuya, and then to Tokyo Prefecture's suburbs and all the way to Yokohama's Chinatown in Kanagawa Prefecture. But the hiccup here is when one of the interconnected lines delays, it will delay the other lines as well

[@standin.excaliblur7510]

is it save to say that the Fukutoshin line is designed to relieve the overcrowd at the west section of Yamanote Line? (from Otsuka to Meguro) ?

[@standin.excaliblur7510]

also, finally people from Atsugi can take Sotetsu train (used to be the only private railways in Greater Tokyo Area that didn't go into 23 wards of Tokyo) to Shibuya, thanks to the introduction of "相鉄・JR直通線"

[@bhagat2774]

They also used fungus experiment to plan their infrastructure, the US used burger stops lol

[@bryan.w.t]

exactly, i still find myself amazed you can take one train that crosses 3 prefectures and 4 different operators

[@DanielP-nt8bx]

the tokyo metro is extremely easy to use if you're japanese and speak japanese. for anyone else.. its a nightmare.

[@Sjalabais]

In short: Better governance and coordination in Japan.

[@TohaBgood2]

@Changeur2009 The same Chinese bullet trains that are bankrupt and $900 billion in debt? Yeah... thanks, but no thanks.

[@Kvasiir]

@Changeur2009 from stolen Japanese bullet train tech ❤

[@linuxman7777]

Also way more expensive tickets. If you want a premium train service expect to pay premium prices

[@bhagat2774]

They also used fungus experiment to plan their infrastructure, the US used burger stops lol

[@TohaBgood2]

@@bhagat2774 They didn't use it to plan infrastructure, bud. That's asinine. They used the Japanese train network to prove that the fungus can in fact navigate complex networks with complex incentives. Read the article!

[@FirstLastOne]

I can use my Suica card in the Tokyo area and then board the Shinkansen and head down to Osaka or Kyoto and use it on local buses or even in the 7-11 to buy food or pay my electrical, water or gas bill. Then again, you can do that with your smartphone as well. And that's not new, it's been around for over a decade and half.

[@jinu_won]

Why are asking transit systems to make money, while we don't ask the same from highways? It's not a fair ask.

[@theexcaliburone5933]

I don't think its necessarily always bad though. The for-profit commuter and long-distance companies in Japan have done great for the country, and in their heyday, two of the best rail systems in the world, the US' and Great Brittain's, were privatized. I don't think it's a good option in a lot of cases (for instance I still think that minor routes which can't make a profit still should exist), but I think it can be helpful. Also it's worth noting that the only way any railway company can make money is off of real estate ventures adjacent to their rights of way.

[@misosoppa3279]

Highways make money too in Japan though.

[@nagasako7]

US Tax payer pays for Elon Musks roads that his Tesla models run on. Imagine if Elon had to flip the bill for US Highway systems. Meanwhile JR constructs and runs profitable bullet trains better than any Tesla vacuum tube solution.

[@TohaBgood2]

@@misosoppa3279 No they don't. The private companies that run those highways are allowed to make money, but that's only because they are subsidized by the government in various direct and indirect ways. Or rather, the government synthetically creates conditions where a private company can make money on the government's dime. Same thing with JR , the Shinkansen system, and the rest of the passenger rail system more broadly. The Japanese government creates conditions for those companies to make money at great expense to itself (i.e. the taxpayers). Everybody likes to talk about the Japanese rail companies making money, but no one likes to talk about how they make most of their money from real estate and are require to run trains to get the special treatment. And this is not unique at all. In fact, this is exactly how our rail system used to work in the US too. It was fairly normal all around the world and we practically invented it. We could return to this model. You let the rail company have some special treatment (cash subsidy, land grants, "zoning" change, easements, etc.) and require a certain level of service in return. The question is - how many Brooklyn residents will accept a brand new 1400 ft luxury condo tower at their subway station that they can't NIMBY out of existence? I'm guessing not many.

[@linuxman7777]

Japan asks for it from both. The Trains are Expensive to ride, and so are the Highways. I remember driving 3 hrs to go 60mi In Japan, because I didn't want to pay the tolls on the expressway to get to the area of Yamanashi I wanted to go.

[@ryy4n_]

i just came back from japan yesterday and the railways are fantastic, transfers are easy, trains are clean, fare is cheap, and everything interconnects (you can even use the same card for the tokyo disney resort monorail, subway, commuter trains, and they are all different rail companies. also you can use those same cards at some convenience stores, vending machines, shops, restaurants too) if only the us cared more about public transportation than they did about cars

[@norihiro01]

Even if the same exact system could be built in the U.S, it would just become vandalised, abused, dirty, unsafe, not-punctual, and too stinky and sticky to use. Sorry, but the problem with the US, is not really about the infrastructure, but we are not allowed to talk about it.

[@88esplosione]

@@norihiro01 I hope that Americans will realize that political correctness and SDGs are for the benefit of a few and that they are destroying society as a whole, and change it into a more decent society.

[@deadby15]

@@norihiro01 The real problem is that we have a culture that beautifies selfishness, greed, and ignorance IMO.

[@CraigFThompson]

​@@deadby15"norohiro" appears to be quite RACIST....

[@Mwoods2272]

In the US, people that use public transport are looked down on, it's for the low class and downtrodden. If you have money, you have a car. If you don't have money, you take the bus and the train or walk.

[@toastedonion]

One major issue is employee pay. MTA workers on average make more than double what Tokyo Metro employees make, in some cases is 3 times as much. When you started that around thousands of employees, that makes a huge difference

[@XGD5layer]

Living costs in Tokyo aren't even comparable to New York

[@BBQporkramen]

Every time I visit Japan I look forward to riding the public transit especially trains and the subway because I know it will be clean, safe, punctual, and a pleasant experience(maybe not as much doing rush hour). I don’t think I ever look forward to public transit here in the US.

[@chrisli210]

Couple of things to consider - Tokyo metro is not the only company to run trains in Tokyo 23-district, there are tonnes more from both private and also JR (public) companies, among them many are listed companies. this historic background helps to speed up investment which is hard to replicate for other countries - There is a goverment strong hand planning to make companies to work with each other on "Throught Train" that works across networks for Japan, this extends the reach which helps to expand coverage, and encourage suburbs to develop outside the Tokyo central district. the train companies compete while at the same time collobrate with each other - a distance base charging mechanism is pretty much standard across the globe which helps to increase revenue (for longer distance ride and to be fair) and encourage short distance travel (increase ridership) - Signaling system and automation does a big role in giving on time performance and cramping more trains in shorter window, e.g. HK peak hour the train is every 1.5 minutes, and Shinkansen departing every couple of minutes. you would never expect that in US

[@robocop581]

HK MTR system is so efficient I remember hearing an announcement on the Radio in the 1990s that a certain line will be 3 minutes instead of 1.5. They apologized for the delay

[@honnjyukudo]

日本で運行している会社はJR(旧国有鉄道)と多数ありますが、元を辿ると4～5社で国がインフラを守る為に主に国有鉄道(現JR、旧JNR)と大手鉄道の傘下に入れる方法で守ったという経緯があります。 有名なのだと大東急で東急の傘下に小田急、京王、京急、相鉄(他江ノ電を含め数社)が傘下にありました。 (現在は東急以外は小田急の傘下にあり、小田急は東急の子会社です。) そのために東急の創業者同につながりがある阪急電鉄のマーケティング理論に沿って駅周辺を再開発するという方向に舵を切ることになっていきます。 これらにより大企業の鉄道会社が多く現在のインフラが確保出来ています。 逆にこれらがなかったら相鉄や小田急傘下の江ノ電などは採算なく倒産していた可能性が充分にあったはずです。 阪急電鉄の創業者の小林一三(松岡修造の祖父)のマーケティング理論が現在も生かされており、基礎になっています。 JRとも東急は結びつきが大きく、そのために横並びでマニュアルを統一したりしやすいのです。

[@KoushiroIzumi85]

From what I understand, JR East, the company that operates in Tokyo is one of the JR companies that are privatized.

[@bhagat2774]

They also used fungus experiment to plan their infrastructure, the US used burger stops lol

[@chrisli210]

@@KoushiroIzumi85 the only JR that is truly struggling should be JR Hokkaido

[@PetsoKamagaya]

I live in Japan. A huge advantage Japan has is the weather. It rarely snows in the Kanto region and does not go below freezing much at all. When it does snow, it's disastrous. The infrastructure can't handle it. In NY, the weather plays havoc on the track points in the winter. All the salting on the roads don't help either. Also, Japan's train schedules are public and really helps on deciding what train to catch. The NYC Subway does have a schedule, so post it on the web. Make it easier for travelers to navigate the best way to get to their destination, duh! Improve the speaker systems in the stations so announcements can actually be understood. It's these small things that make a difference.

[@JamesNY718]

One key difference they don’t break down when it comes to Japan’s system vs America is that companies pay for their employees transportation to work. Even though the subway system in Japan is more expensive, majority of the cost is fulfilled by companies. In America, very few companies pay for employee transportation.

[@tomokh2]

Riding the Tokyo subway is what got me to love the contactless payment system. So, when I got back to the US from a vacation trip in Asia, I started transitioning from "insert your card" to "tap and go" credit card. I mean, the OMNY is sort of in the right step direction, but Asia has the system beat because you can get a PASSMO or a SUICA, and use the same card for stores and other things on top of train tickets. Having NJTransit and the MTA work together for a single card system would definitely help, but yesh....bureaucracy. I know the MTA is trying to make improvements slowly with their system, but.....*sighs* Also, in Tokyo, most stations have conbini (convenient stores) and/or other shops you can stop by once you go past the gates. They even have an option for visitors to get platform tickets only if people just want to walk around a station (that ideally promotes the area) and not board a train. Can't do that with NYC's ancient set-up unless they start doing what the Japanese do. Get rid of old buildings and build new ones. The homeless, around Tokyo's stations, tend to stay outdoors. No one is allowed to stay in the stations past midnight as the stations close for maintenance before re-opening at around 4 a.m. or so. There are just so many nice ideas that you wish could be implemented into NYC's subways. And yes, clean well maintained bathrooms would definitely enhance an experience by a whole lot.

[@4daluvofnikki]

NYC Transit is 24 hours. There is always a train running.

[@tomokh2]

@@4daluvofnikki Except during the height of the pandemic, they closed the subways at certain hours at night, and used that time to clean the stations. Very rare occurrence.

[@4daluvofnikki]

@@tomokh2 Yes I remember that. The most clean those trains had ever been. They should do that at least once per week. Funny I was not using theSubway then, because my job was 100% remote then.

[@DanielP-nt8bx]

and all you have to do to figure out how to use it is speak and read fluent japanese!

[@tomokh2]

@@DanielP-nt8bx All ticketing machines at the Japanese stations have English, Korean and Mandarin Chinese options so you'll never have to worry about テキストの日本語を読みます (reading the Japanese text). ;)

[@DawnSpencer-k4g]

Riding the Tokyo subway is what got me to love the contactless payment system. So, when I got back to the US from a vacation trip in Asia, I started transitioning from "insert your card" to "tap and go" credit card. I mean, the OMNY is sort of in the right step direction, but Asia has the system beat because you can get a PASSMO or a SUICA, and use the same card for stores and other things on top of train tickets. Having NJTransit and the MTA work together for a single card system would definitely help, but yesh....bureaucracy. I know the MTA is trying to make improvements slowly with their system, but.....*sighs* Also, in Tokyo, most stations have conbini (convenient stores) and/or other shops you can stop by once you go past the gates. They even have an option for visitors to get platform tickets only if people just want to walk around a station (that ideally promotes the area) and not board a train. Can't do that with NYC's ancient set-up unless they start doing what the Japanese do. Get rid of old buildings and build new ones. The homeless, around Tokyo's stations, tend to stay outdoors. No one is allowed to stay in the stations past midnight as the stations close for maintenance before re-opening at around 4 a.m. or so. There are just so many nice ideas that you wish could be implemented into NYC's subways. And yes, clean well maintained bathrooms would definitely enhance an experience by a whole lot.

[@jaredspencer3304]

American transit isn't doomed! We used to have the most developed rail network in the world. We got there through deliberate effort. We lost it for a variety of reasons that other people have pointed out. But if we got there before, we can get there again. We just have to want to do it. And I'm optimistic, since people seem to be fed up, and are realizing it could be better.

[@linuxman7777]

It needs to be built new, and away from freight rail, if we want better passenger service

[@Ninjabeefyschtick]

The government doesnt seem interested in making the transit great again. People are sooooo car centric in the US that theres a number of them who say their freedom is taken away with the government 's push for public transit. Plus in the US, they want the system to make $ and a number of people also believe that, look at opponents of the HSR in California.

[@joannejones363]

This is what happens when the government is for profit.

[@antihypocrisy8978]

US politicians are accountable to its corporate donors, who do not want rail investments for one reason or another.

[@bhagat2774]

They also used fungus experiment to plan their infrastructure, the US used burger stops lol

[@LINUXLINUXLINUXLINUXLINUXLINUX]

In America a public space, culturally is viewed as "my space" because "I pay taxes" and the general _me me me me_ baby culture of America, while in Japan a communal space is viewed as _OUR_ space. That is a big difference.

[@CraigFThompson]

Yet when the stuperhighways were making their dreaded advances throughout major cities, that "my land" mantra meant absolutely nothing.

[@sadvenom7826]

But it's always been like that, even back in the world wars when U.S. infrastructure was so good, by it's might we defeated Japan. People aren't intrested in public transport for different reasons, and some people get offended when we say these things. Search up the mass demographic changes of the 1960s and 70s in new york, you'll see the major differences in subway comfort, and crime.

[@Walrus286]

The big difference for the last 60 years Japan has invested in their transportation systems and for the last 60 years the US has invested in endless wars. It’s over. Now we’re so far in debt that none of the deteriorating infrastructure can be improved.

[@sadvenom7826]

@Walrus286 we invested in the Japanese system, and we rebuilt them. But you're right about war, if we divest from europe and the middle east, we could totally make ourselves better for ourselves

[@CraigFThompson]

@@Walrus286 But the stuperhighways waste more than $800 billion dollars annually; if they were privatized and turned into taxable land, the nation could still maintain its overbuilt and overinflated military and build a nationwide HSR system. Of course, reducing the military budget by just five percent would work "miracles". But then again, the military maintains engineering divisions in two known branches, and have been known to assist in the construction of rail-based public transportation when natural disasters strike----the 1994 earthquake in SoCal being a good example.

[@johnne86sd]

Just came back from vacation in Japan. Japan is on a whole other level. We have a lot to learn from their society. I was blown away by many things, not just the railways.

[@Koreanyeezus]

Not to mention places like Japan and Korea are more respectful and don't have graffiti, urinate, or people fighting in subways.

[@jefflebowski918]

Isn't diversity great in the US?

[@TheRandCrews]

Society and cultural issue, both countries fund greatly in social services compared to US always talk but no solutions

[@hoserrlol]

They also aren't jumping turnstyles and breaking ticket machines lol

[@kevinjenner9502]

In Japan first graders ride the train solo to school.

[@7141141aj]

Japanese knows how to behave in the public. We can’t have nice things in NYC

[@cherylrleigh1912]

The MTA representative displayed a complete lack of concern regarding the outdated state of the NYC subway system when compared to Japan's impeccable infrastructure. Unfortunately, this issue extends beyond just the subway system and reflects the overall sorry state of US infrastructure, making us a laughing stock among wealthy nations.

[@RX552VBK]

You noticed that too? It was like he was "proud" that NYC train was so old with obsolete switches and signals.

[@sirebellum0]

I didn't get that impression. I think it was moreso that he was just trying to be positive about a situation that isn't going to be fixed anytime soon, even if he had all the guilt and sorrow in the world. As the guy at the end said, it will likely take well over a decade to make the improvements necessary to significantly improve NYC transit. He's gonna be miserable for a VERY long time, if he holds any of other attitude. There's a difference between being dismissive and being hopeful

[@Bearded923]

America can't fix its infrastructure cause we give and support the rest of the world.

[@yussef18]

​@deedelta9263 and the american people are cost adverse...they don't like price increases or taxes...and all of the improvements need money

[@scottmac]

I didn’t get that impression, I think he’s just being realistic that the improvement in on-time service is impressive given the age of the system. Also, the majority of the upgrades that the MTA is currently doing is to modernize signals.

[@JacobMoretti-NotABot]

This is a pretty bad piece. There are *HUUUGE* differences between New York and Tokyo that aren’t mentioned here. One major reason why there are so many riders in Tokyo is because there are just so many more people in a much smaller space. Tokyo is literally like putting NYC, LA, Philly, San Diego, and San Francisco next to each other. You don’t get picket fences just outside the city limits like you do in NYC. You have to go way outside the city before you start seeing stuff like that. Which means there’s a lot of transit in the Tokyo suburbs too, and nowhere near as much highway, so you don’t get nearly as many people driving to work. A lot of train companies also own real estate and commercial complexes around stations, so their train lines don’t actually have to be profitable. And good luck getting transit workers in the US to be as conscientious as in Japan. And why are we looking at just the subway? The subway is the biggest thing in NYC, but in Tokyo the JR railways have 2x the ridership of the subways. Government investment, having a single card for the entire metro area, and having suburban railways ride into subway tunnels would certainly help ridership in NYC. But the contexts of the cities are so different that we should really be making comparisons with other cities.

[@specialk9999]

NYC and Tokyo are my 2 home cities. Having ridden both systems, the NYC system has easier maps to follow but overall the Tokyo (and Japan’s) system is much, much better. Tokyo’s is much cleaner, more on time, safer (not perfectly), and more efficient.

[@Hans-gb4mv]

Google maps is the only map you really need ;)

[@specialk9999]

@@Hans-gb4mv yeah I guess that would work. I should have specified in my post that my experience riding both systems were in the 80s and 90s. I haven’t been on either one since 2001 but I assume or hope that they would both be improved by now.

[@linuxman7777]

Been to Tokyo, never been to NYC, but the Tokyo metro, JR Lines etc all just seemed so expensive compared to the US. To go 38mi on a bus here in my city will run me about $3 but in Japan I could only go under 5mi for that much, needless to say I used my JR pass alot

[@specialk9999]

@@linuxman7777 yeah it can be pricey but most people in Tokyo don’t own cars so they don’t have that expense. Your comparison of a bus to the train isn’t really much of a comparison. The train is much faster than a bus so you are paying to get somewhere faster.

[@linuxman7777]

@@specialk9999 True, but i still respect the Bus for serving the poor, and being very versatile where trains arent

[@sinisterisrandom8537]

The main problem with the NYC train system is the lack of stations being convenient. There are tons upon tons of train stations that we could help renovate and get into proper working conditions. They are not only convenient for everyone but also safe. Some people have stated on videos related to the abandoned stations that some of these recently decommissioned stations, abandoned ones from only a couple decades ago are still within near, to somewhat perfect condition for usage but are not used at all and if they were would make transportation a lot more convenient for the average new yorker.

[@zorkmid1083]

Like which abandoned stations would be useful to reopen?

[@RobinSentell]

The majority of the abandoned stations I know of are in Manhattan in areas that are already transit rich. We don't need to reopen them.

[@MelaniaSideWigga]

HA! The NYC Subway is great. Try taking MARTA in Atlanta. Great if you live near the very few lines, but for 90% of the Metro Area, Mass Transit is a Joke. In places like this, until we totally demolish & rebuild our cities, there needs to be a commitment to making transit by car work a lot better & integrate it as part of the solution of transit. For most of the USA, it does absolutely no good to vilify this form of transportation because the vivifiers ain't willing to pay for the massive change required.

[@AhBen567]

Why no mention of the rampant fare evasion that cost the MTA 700m a year WSJ?

[@maplefreak64]

As someone who likes to travel to the United States, it was a big news for me that the LIRR arrived at Grand Central Station. Travelers are happy to be able to go to the center in 30 minutes from JFK and at an affordable price. The pleasure of going to the eastern part of Long Island has also increased. I am looking forward to visiting New York. However, the completion of rail transit in Los Angeles and Honolulu is still delayed. I feel like I've been waiting another light year...

[@yellobird5682]

Did you know that many companies in Japan pay transportation costs for their employers? Even if you drive to work, the company will pay for the train or bus fare from your home to your place of work, in addition to your salary.

[@marciashiraishi5891]

Many companies have their own buses to transport employees free, in addition to paying for those who need to use train, subway or urban buses. Few are allowed to use their own car because parking in Japan is a serious problem

[@momoko9967]

@@marciashiraishi5891 That's only for central Tokyo. Many people who live in the suburbs own cars, and the countryside is completely a car society, and it is not uncommon for a family to have two cars.

[@marciashiraishi5891]

@@momoko9967 I was born and raised in Tokyo, graduated in Osaka and have been living in Kobe for a few years now. I have relatives in Hiroshima and friends who live in small towns, and they all have cars. The problem is parking at the headquarters of companies, imagine large companies, with hundreds of employees and everyone going to work by car? There isn't enough space for that. Fortunately I found a house with a garage but I walk to work, it's only fifteen minutes, so I keep fit and help the planet

[@udishomer5852]

Same in Israel, every employee is entitled by law to a "transportation allowance". They usually get enough money to buy a "public transportation monthly pass" (roughly $70-100).

[@tokyojon4344]

I work in Tokyo. Yes, of course my employer pays for my train ticket, for both my jobs. Am uncertain if this is the law of Japan or not. I know that some workers travel by train where I work from Yokohama to Chiba, costs around $10 each way 90 minutes each way.

[@TB-mj7nh]

US infrastructure is a huge corruption hole. Unions should never be allowed to work on these projects. Some of the highways and roads are under construction for decades. I “love” how we might be sitting in the traffic on a highway because it’s under construction, but there is 1 guy working there and 15 are talking. And you observe that for years on the same high way. The same with train system

[@dreamchaser4822]

In my opinion, Japan has a national strategy to develop the railway from the late 19th century backed by private sector participation. This has continued to develop for over 150 years. The private railway companies have long diversified into real estate and city development, amassing wealth to reinvest into continuous improvement. On top of these is the Japanese’ emphasis on organization and precision, which is critical to run a transportation system.

[@paranoidhumanoid]

The organization and precision is also a product of a society that values and emphasizes quality education, which the US lacks. The workers who would build the infrastructure could never attain that level of precision and executive management. It would fall apart in months.

[@cmelle]

also, another random tidbit, is the fact that the length of japan is similar to the length of the us east coast. so the fact that japan has multiple and various railways that services, not just tokyo itself, but all throughout the entire length of their country but the us has limited options just going from one state to the next is just... mind boggling lol

[@Dynomite611]

Taiwan has a great metro as well. When I was a kid I spent a few years in Taiwan and was there when the train began operating. My dad use to have a car to commute and the metro was so well done. My dad and many of his colleagues got rid of their cars.

[@apoc5000]

In the u.s. we like to focus on nonsense issues and throw tax dollars into bottomless pits. By the way, how hard is it to build a barrier so people don't get pushed onto the tracks?

[@Atrail_Mckinley4786]

The NYC subway is old so installing barriers that you see in London would cost a lot a money

[@OpinionatedNomadChannel]

@@Atrail_Mckinley4786 Both begun operations in 1863 per Wikipedia.

[@Atrail_Mckinley4786]

@@OpinionatedNomadChannel the nyc subway didn't open in 1863. It opened in the 1900s

[@glennsriyousefbaun-cueto9287]

There are barriers in Singapore MRT too

[@OpinionatedNomadChannel]

@@Atrail_Mckinley4786 per Wikipedia

[@Czechbound]

In Prague, CZ, my annual travel card ( covering buses, trains, trams, and the metro up to about 10km from the centre ) costs *annually* $160. You don't need a car here. And if you want one for, say, driving to Germany for a weekend, you can hire one. Easy !

[@MelaniaSideWigga]

Well...someone is taking up the slack on the Low-Cost for your (subsidised) transit.

[@Peglegkickboxer]

The best trams I've ever been on were in Krakow and Prague. I still have yet to visit Hungary and Austria.

[@jeffreychristopher5953]

One thing l didn't hear mentioned is FARE EVASION which costs the MTA approximately $700,000,000 per year and l hear no plans to correct that issue

[@momoko9967]

Don't just compare subways. In Tokyo, there are more JR and private railways that run on the ground than the metro. This is very different from other major cities. In addition, development around the station is active and all railway companies are making profits. In most countries, railroads are in the red and run as public works.

[@nickhickley1]

The title of this video gets at the root of the issue. Public services are not supposed to be "profitable." They are a service that has a cost. US politicians mix this up all the time when talking about Amtrak or the USPS. I doubt most folks in Tokyo are touting the "profitability" of their system; it's more likely they're discussing the wisdom of the investment and how to reallocate these public funds that are no longer needed in that specific area.

[@CraigFThompson]

​@@nickhickley1Note also that stuperhighways aren't, and have never been, profitable at any time.

[@rickc.9664]

Not only Tokyo's metro beats NYC... Basically any European metro system does it, Paris, London, Madrid, Berlin, etc. Mid-size and small size systems like Lisbon, Oslo, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Rome, Athens, etc. also beat their US counterparts. Why? Because this is a car-centric country where public transit is seen like wellfare.

[@sebastienc.2257]

London and Tokyo's subways are the only systems comparable in size to NYC among the cities that you have mentioned. And it's not close at all. Heck Japan is about 1/3-1/4 size of London and NYC's subways.

[@mkill572]

Ironically, the cover picture shows the Inokashira Line, one of the few lines in Tokyo that *doesn’t* have its trains go through the actual metro network. It’s a suburban commuter rail that ends at Shibuya and never goes inside the Yamanote Line circle …

[@babbleboyquito]

Another area where Japan leads the US is toilet sanitation. For a first world country, it’s crazy how the US does not have bidets.

[@thomasgrabkowski8283]

Japan is only country that widely used bidets

[@mattwardpictures]

Word.

[@garryferrington811]

Toto, the Japanese toilet company, has revolutionized the toilet. They should be selling them by the millions here. I wonder if they've been blocked out of the US market.

[@Shiromochimochi]

New York → public transport [Open 24 hours] Tokyo → The station space itself is the city (daily life) [Not Open 24 hours Maintenance from midnight every day] There are various facilities in the station. restaurants, bookstore,convenience store, clothing store, hotel ,housing, etc.

[@thebl3mish]

That's unique to NYC - LA, SF, Chicago, Miami all have opening and closing schedules. It is somewhat convenient but in Tokyo if you miss the last train you could probably fetch some cheap accomodation or other forms of transportation.(there are night buses and of course taxi services)

[@CraigFThompson]

​@@thebl3mishI've heard that Boston and Philadelphia operate their systems 24-7-365....

[@Rearmostbean]

Now realize the Japanese federal government is spending a mere $813Billion a year. US spends 7 times that. It would be nice if people would wake up to the fact it isn't a funding problem but a competence/grift problem

[@4daluvofnikki]

Interesting to see the differences. Tokyo has the funding they need. NYC does not and that is why there is such a huge disparity. It seems the Tokyo system does not heavily rely on ridership for funding whereas NYC does. But I also say bureaucratic red tape holds up much of the funding that NYC has. I have felt for years MTA brass have mishandled the funding they have gotten.

[@DinaOnyu-ih7hw]

Go visit Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan....their railway system all function very well. When I first visited NYC, I was so shocked. The train stations smell like urine, the floor looks like it has never been cleaned, rats are everywhere and people don't even react to them. Also, everything in the train station looks like it was stuck in the 60s. I haven't seen those paper tickets in other countries since the 70s.

[@keshab2k]

Been to NYC and Japan there's a huge difference in people's mindset. In Japan if you walk around, there are no bins anywhere, yet there is no litter whatsoever which shocked me, they treat their country with respect. NYC the number of people walking through barriers without paying was truly astounding. In Japan officers are everywhere and they bow as soon of respect. The transport quality in NYC is so poor, it's makes 3rd world countries which don't have trains look good. NYC need massive investment and competition. The transfer between stations was an utter joke in NYC. It would be better to walk to the destination then to take the train in NYC. Japan everything is well thought out.

[@Jmr-o5e]

Your average japanese is a higher quality human being vs your average american. Oh, i’m american by the way. The japanese care about their neighbors. Many americans - especially in cities - dont.

[@keshab2k]

@Jmr-o5e you're right, I've been to both countries. The level of politeness in Japan is next level. You're not allowed to talk in trains, it's a recovery period for others who have been working. I found Japan extremely anti-social vs. US. If I had to pick between the two countries, despite Japan having the better transport, food and people I'd prefer to have freedom. Going into restaurants and bars and talking very quietly is a mood killer. Even in restaurants eat and don't talk and allow next person to come in. I hear the work culture is brutal in Japan too.

[@Jmr-o5e]

@ there should be restaurants where you can be loud and places where it is not allowed. In general USA has a ton of noise pollution, starting with how loud americans speak. In general things to shut them up are making the world a better place. Oh and im an american.

[@jameskerner7782]

The New York City Subways were privatized since it opened in 1904 until the city took over the subways in the late 1940's.

[@xplayman]

I've been to about a dozen countries, rich and poor, with various cities having metro and as a life long New Yorker I'm embarrassed by our system 100% of the time. Even Bangkok was better than ours by safety and cleanliness, but like old NY they have multiple metro companies. Comparing us to Tokyo is unfair. The rail connectivity all over Japan's cities is unbeatable.

[@CraigFThompson]

And then there's the issue of "new vs. old"....

[@mace1367]

You also have the issue that in NYC, one of the most diverse cities in the world, a large number of riders don't pay. Unlike the Japanese that are very honorable.

[@matthewjohnbornholt648]

This video is very very bad. Mostly because they asked the wrong "expert" (Sorensen wrote a very bad book where he mostly complained Japanese planning didn't conform to his NIMBY Torontoite standards and didn't talk about transport planning at all). New York has actually spent way more on its system over the last 30 years than Tokyo has, Tokyo's profitable not just because it has higher fares but because it lower operating costs (no conductors, regular maintenance because no 24 hour service) and construction costs are somewhere between a sixth and quarter the cost per kilometer of NY projects like 2nd avenue subway or East Side Access. Urban Japanese railways only get subsidies for capital project not operations and usually have to cough up fare revenue to pay the debt the state incurred to build those projects. Also Tokyo invested consistently not so much because they were wise magic Asians but because Japan has a more market oriented land market than the US, you can built apartments and supermarkets next to train stations in Japan, not in the US*. Trains are only successful if you have the necessary densities along the rail corridors. And most of Tokyo's rail corridors are run by private rail corporations who are also real estate/commercial development conglomerates. Tokyo metro is built around helping those companies succeed. (Weird the WSJ doesn't talk about that given its a business paper, but Sorensen got his PHD ignoring them). This meant there was always a business-passenger lobby that campaigned for more investment. In the US the political establishment imposed a car oriented social model backed by tax and zoning system that encouraged sprawl and killed off the passenger rail companies. It helps not having poisonous "urban" politics. *America on land and transport is the most socialist major economy. The PRC is more market oriented. Hilariously Japan is actually not a world leader necessarily on fare integration, the IC card system are seamless to use but actually charge you for changing between transport operators. Its Central Europe that leads on integrated fares. Furthermore the governance issue misses that Japan is actually much more complicated, the wider Tokyo area has more than 20 rail operators including 8 large private rail companies, two High speed rail operators, 3 subway systems and a host of government owned commuter lines, spread over 9 prefectures with over 100 municipalities. By that standard the MTA's feuding agencies, the Mayor vs state, the tension between the 3 NY area states are actually quite simple. Did I mention that all the relevant governments are the "same party". Tokyo urban area is a multi-party system.

[@longiusaescius2537]

Do you have a website or somewhere to post more about this?

[@matthewjohnbornholt648]

@@longiusaescius2537 Nope sorry, but I got a lot of this from people like Alon Levy (Pedestrian Observations), Stephen Smith (Market Urbanism) and Joe McReynolds (Emergent Tokyo).

[@longiusaescius2537]

@@matthewjohnbornholt648 sad

[@longiusaescius2537]

@@matthewjohnbornholt648 at least you have names to look into

[@Mwoods2272]

Japan has the worst rail system in the world.

[@blaazer9473]

1:43 I would like to point out that the bottom right card is just a metro card. There is no special card for air train. You can use your metro card to pay the fare, while you can't do the same with the air train metro card.

[@socks_cat356]

Looking at it from another perspective, during Tokyo's post-war reconstruction, railway infrastructure was developed in the city center, office buildings and commercial facilities were constructed, housing was built in the suburbs, and many so-called commuter towns were formed in neighboring prefectures. This resulted in a large number of railway users, and with the opening of the Shinkansen, long-distance commuting became possible.At the same time, the railway companies also engaged in real estate development, such as building luxury apartment buildings along railway lines and near stations. This creates an overall benefit.

[@りか-d4h]

戦後の東京がインフラを新しい状態から始められたのは、全てを焼き払われて人や建物がすっかり消えたおかげです。東京は明治時代までは江戸と呼ばれ800万人が生活する大都市でした。 戦時中122回襲撃され、犠牲者数は原爆犠牲者を上回ります。この時代の爆撃は焼夷弾だったので木造住宅は非常によく燃えました。 外国から来た観光客の中には「東京には古い建物がなくてつまらない」と返事に困る冗談を言う人もいます。

[@love2CUsmile86]

The train station and trains in Japan are clean and orderly. I was very impressed. Before talking about infrastructure, let’s talk about culture because that is the most impressive.

[@API-Beast]

Is it just me or did the video not answer the question of the title at all?

[@anchan15]

NY subway is long overdue for upgrade. I used the ny subway system for the first time this year during the summer and it was worse than I expected. It smells really bad depending on the station, summer is extremely hot (You will sweat!), there are ppl that use the emergency door for unknown reason and the staff does nothing. I cant imagine what its like in the Winter. Also some stations are so old that you dont feel safe on the platform.

[@captain_context9991]

Its hte wrong question toask. HOW did Japan get that far ahead..... The correct question would be... Why is there ZERO development in the US.

[@glennsriyousefbaun-cueto9287]

Why is there ZERO development in the so-called US of A? Because all the money is going to funding its overhyped military complex

[@whyamiwastingmytimeonthis]

Reason: car & oil industries’ lobby, and NIMBYs blocking development of anything but two-story drywall boxes 20 miles away from the city

[@CraigFThompson]

Blame the automotive and airline industries, energy corporations, and gullible, moronic politicians supported by, and benefitting from, the aforementioned concerns.

[@BigBlakMan-hr9mb]

Lack of political incentive....basically voters not holding politicians accountable and not treating infrastructure as a priority.

[@captain_context9991]

@@BigBlakMan-hr9mb Because uniquely to the US, the bewildered flagwaving masses view politicians as infinitely far above and out of reach. Due to being so few of them and 350-something million people. The sense of nothing matters, is real.

[@shiina29]

The payment cards also work on vending machines and many, many stores across the country. I use it to buy my groceries, books, clothes, etc because it’s so much quicker.

[@kellymoses8566]

The real scandal is how the richest city in the world still has 100 year old switching systems in its subway.

[@doujinflip]

24-hour continuous operation, old design that doesn't lend itself to easy changes, and organizational inertia makes upgrades a huge disruption to The City That Never Sleeps.

[@tdb7992]

It's not just Japan who is "so far ahead". It's literally all developed nations, and a lot of developing ones, who have vastly better infrastructure. Americans don't realise how absolutely terrible infrastructure there is. It's so bizarre the way they talk about NY being "so complex", not realising that it isn't anywhere near as complex as most large European and Asian cities. You're not dealing with earthquakes, plague pits, and thousands of years of history below the soil.

[@CraigFThompson]

The USA wastes copious amounts of money in oversubsidizing both highways and air travel; because of THAT, there's little money for passenger rail.

[@わわ-l8w]

アメリカは郊外化や車依存社会に予算の重点を置きすぎているんですよね。それは確かに良い面もあります。つまりあの素晴らしいアメリカの郊外、大きな家に広い庭、広い道路があってプライベートがあります。それは日本にはありません。

[@tonytang5452]

Not only in Japan, I think East Asia have so many great subway systems

[@jhca4671]

Japan's system is far better than those of most East Asian countries.

[@gytan2221]

there’s not much difference lol

[@jhca4671]

@Akai Shuichi not really. I've been in each of these countries you mentioned extensively. And that's just not true. Tokyo also has JR and other rails systems. It's just simply unparalleled.

[@jhca4671]

@Akai Shuichi Better than in the West? That's for sure true! We all know that, but still, they aren't quite Japan.

[@bachelbel]

@Akai Shuichi Why not? Taipei and Seoul metros stations are wider and more comfortable than JR, metro and Toei subway. But maybe bceause they are built in relatively recent years, so they anticipated larger density when they built them.

[@heribertosarmiento1265]

You want to know why Japan train service is better? Because they love public transportation and don’t shame it like we do and second they are not car elitism like happens here. Most Japanese don’t want to deal with traffic like we do. Only folks that need to drive are outside the big cities.

[@Jaxymann]

The lack of a single integrated system for ride fares & payments in New York is jaw-dropping for a city that is supposed to be the best in the United States for mass transit. In Tokyo, there are several companies that operate several different railway lines & services from JR East, Tokyo Metro and the Toei Subway to the Keisei, Tobu & Odakyu railways to name just a few, but you can use the Suica/Pasmo or literally ANY IC card in Japan with them. There's no messing about with different cards or payment systems for each line, it's all accessible through a single system.

[@Demopans5990]

NYC's subway and buses use the Metrocard, but you do have a point. Would be great if the greater area all used 1 single system, but that requires NJ Transit and the MTA to agree on something

[@hzxswyg]

"It may not be up to Asian standard." LOL. At least he is honest🤣

[@kanaervin4744]

You didn't mention that the way that the Tokyo metro is funded is through real estate development around the stations. Super important fact to leave out of a video about profitability.

[@McGrawFeathers]

Japanese person here. I’ve been living in the states for almost a decade. 2:03 I do wish if more things were organised by the national level as opposed to each state. Not just the metro system, but in general, like the insurance system. It’s definitely more of a hassle when you move to a different state and you have to switch to a doctor licensed in that state. It used to make me wonder how American people tolerated inconveniences like that.🤔

[@lqr824]

American with 20 years in Japan here! Yeah, people think of the US as a relatively "new country" but in fact the government is one of the oldest in the world. The current rules date from 1789 and haven't changed much, whereas nearly everywhere in Europe and Asia has updated things in just the last 75 years. Germany is also a federal country, though, with many similar problems. I lived in Switzerland for six years and while health is nation, many other things aren't. Each canton is VERY different.

[@jnation29]

NYC has so many redundant agencies. Port Authority, MTA, NJTransit etc. There should be one unified regional agency.

[@alexanderzeitoun8023]

I really don’t think profitability is a good way to judge a public transit system. As a New Yorker who takes the subway multiple times a day, I can honestly say that it completely gets its intended purpose fulfilled.

[@damnjustassignmeone]

The MTA has a mentality where you strive to meet the bare minimum. Good enough. In Japan, it’s sort of the opposite. And continuous improvement over time.

[@glennalexon1530]

WSJ just doesn't understand business issues. It's ridiculous to state that the Tokyo subway is profitable because it's funded by the federal government; if it were profitable it wouldn't need that government funding. The MTA doesn't "make money by selling bonds"; those bond's pay interest, they don't earn a profit. Read a (basic economics) book, WSJ.

[@leek1065]

As someone who lived in both the US and Japan (specifically in both NYC and Tokyo), I want to say some arguments suggesting Tokyo metro is better than NYC subway/MTA are valid, but some are not. For example I lived in central Tokyo where metros are supposed to be all connected, but they are not. 2-3 metro transfers to somewhere 20 minutes by car is a constant. Japan Railway system runs Yamanote Line which is more interconnected, but it’s a different system than Tokyo Metro. The saying that Tokyo train is always on time and most of times clean is, correct in my opinion, but NYC metro has improved a lot recently and as long as this trend continues, it can match the standard of Tokyo or any other metropolitan cities in no time I believe. Also curious about whether this video was made because Tokyo metro went public and they wanted marketing.

[@meejinhuang]

In NYC it's corrupt officials that let their metro system get so dated. Tokyo is constantly improving their metro system and have a population that care for the system and not trash it.

[@lqr824]

You have no idea how corrupt Japan is compared to the US. Read the book Dogs and Demons.

[@hoserrlol]

Would love to see the statistics on what % of Japanese residents pay their fees vs the new yorkers who jump the tolls.

[@specialk9999]

That would be interesting. Having lived in both cities, I can tell you that the penalty for not paying is far worse in Tokyo than it is in NYC.

[@Hans-gb4mv]

In major cities it is near impossible to take a train without paying in Japan as you can't really get past the gates. Only place where that might be possible is on a bus, but the Japanese are to disciplined for that in general.

[@specialk9999]

@@Hans-gb4mv maybe now but in the 90s it wasn’t hard to skip paying in the NYC system.

[@Lodai974]

@@Hans-gb4mv The control lines (line of tolls) in Japan could be easily crossed without paying. There are no obstacles. I went there. There is the attendant at the counter next door, but that is not necessary... It is simply UNTHINKABLE to enter without paying for a Japanese. If ever your ticket is not valid, a terrible alarm starts ringing so that everyone is aware .... because in Japan, Shame is worse than death

[@linuxman7777]

In Japan, for commuters, companies in the big cities like Tokyo or Osaka pay for your commute, which is quite expensive often in Japan. Like $20 dollars or more to get from one end of the metro area to the other

[@donm1612]

The section on funding is just entirely wrong. It is not government funded. The claim is that there is a great amount of government funding of the Tokyo Metro. There is no government funding of the Tokyo metro. As is mentioned, they are running at a profit. It is by all intents a private, for-profit entity and is the exception as far as ownership structure is concerned as, for example JR and many others are publicly traded.

[@w5toa2ec9zlqd]

The thumbnail in this video is not of a Tokyo Metro train, but of the Keio Inokashira Line.

[@kevinw1090]

You can spend money to improve the infrastructure, but you can't change how the riders behave in the subway.

[@kilojoule_kj]

Ask yourself why you don't see such behaviors in airports, shopping malls, etc. Then ponder how Asia's subway stations themselves have retail spaces, coin lockers, vending machines, etc. which generate extra revenue which allows them to hire janitors and security, whereas US subway stations are desolate concrete boxes with nary any additional revenue streams themselves (maybe an ad poster space that's about it).

[@kevinw1090]

@@kilojoule_kj Recently, many nationwide retailers closed their doors in neighborhoods that resembles the subway atmosphere.

[@kilojoule_kj]

@@kevinw1090 The issue there is being lenient on crime, stupid voters getting what they deserve for voting in radical leftist DAs and local politicians who are soft on crime and side with stupid Defund the Police movements. Stuff you don't see either in Asian countries as well.

[@critiqueofthegothgf]

You literally can change that. It's not genetic. Cultural change, respect and empathy for others will change the ridership behavior. I can't stand seeing these moronic comments. Do you think Japanese people have some inherent genetic gene that makes them polite?

[@critiqueofthegothgf]

@@kevinw1090 ahh just using dog whistles now. why not just say, "i cant ride the subway becuz minorities exist muh"

[@jimfee42]

Easy answer. Corruption vs no corruption. That explains profitability

[@taipizzalord4463]

Public Services do not need to be profitable.

[@JakeSDN]

They do when they are operated by a corporation. There was an interview with the CEO of the MTA, how many government agencies you know have a CEO. The infrastructure operated by the city of new york or the state don’t have any of the issues as the infrastructure operated by the MTA.

[@mahfujkadir8973]

@@JakeSDN So just nationalize the MTA so it doesnt need to be profitable since its no longer a corporation but a branch of the government like the USPS is. The USPS do stops where its unprofitable to fedex and ups so the MTA wouldnt need to live for profit

[@JakeSDN]

@@mahfujkadir8973 I don’t have a problem with that as long as congress doesn’t punish the NTA(National Transit Authority) like they do USPS, actually it is fine if they do, if we create a national public transit system, it will improve the economy and lives.

[@mahfujkadir8973]

@@JakeSDN a wish for another life

[@JakeSDN]

@@mahfujkadir8973 I actually drive, and my boss pays for my gas & tolls, but most people in this city don’t have that option. It is a waste of public funds and resources. Someone has to advocate for the people that don’t have a choice and don’t realize they are being taken advantage of.

[@What-is-your-purpose]

I know there’s always an argument about car dependency, but having other means of transportation would actually be a plus for a lot of people, while some people might just want to stay in their cars. Others would rather take the train and that’s OK it would be pretty cool to see a high speed rail road train here in America so I could take a train from Atlanta to Cali so I hope we stop talking about it and really be about it 🫶🏾✌🏾🫶🏾

[@wolfbountygameryt1404]

Some states are building right now like california

[@bobbythommo]

In Japan companies pay your travel expenses to and from work monthly. They also base local essential services like supermarkets, pharmacies, doctors office etc right next to stations making the train system very much the center of each local community and for most an essential part of their daily lives, particularly once you start to travel slightly outside central Tokyo

[@jayceechan6098]

I’ve been to Japan and I live in New York. Our public transit is the difference between night and day versus Japans. Japans trains/platforms/ tracks/ stations are clean, automated messages are clear and concise, have cushioned seats (will not last a day in NY), passengers are respectful (only noisy people are the foreigners), efficient, always on time, platform crews are so helpful (also hold the doors for you) people let you out before you go into the train, train cars designated only for women, stations a brightly lit, all the employees care about their jobs. If something is broken like a light going out, they replace it right away at the next station. New York transit have dirty trains/ platforms/ tracks/ stations, everyday there are delays, many times it doesn’t matter if you take the local or express both just as slow (rushing into the station the last 500 feet doesn’t count as express), dimly lit stations, get the train doors shut right in front of face, crews not helpful, rude passengers rushing in (while you try to get out) to get a seat, customer service non existence. Hearing “train is delay sorry for any inconvenience” daily is the norm.

[@CraigFThompson]

Japan's systems are a HELLUVA lot newer than NYC's, btw....