J-Escalators: 'very bizarre & very cool'

[Taro Toporific]

I call "Free use" on this "edu" post....
Path Dependence via the 'Philosophy of the Void' blog at law.harvard.edu

I just encountered an interesting case of path dependence while watching a popular TV show in Japan. Like many places in the world, people standing on escalators in Japan move to one side to let people pass. The funny thing is in Tokyo, people stand on the left and pass to the right, while in Osaka, people stand on the right and pass on the left. I think the pattern in Tokyo is intuitive, since people drive on the left side of the road in Japan and hence the passing lane is on the right....

....The TV program staff then went on a trip to identify the precise station between Tokyo and Osaka where the pattern reverses. Apparently, there is no gray area -- the customs reverse abruptly after one station in between. This was all very fascinating and reinforced my belief that Japanese TV is both very bizarre and very cool.

# Posted by Phillip Lipscy on 9/1/03; 11:42:51 PM -

[GomiGirl]

What is the name of the Station?

They should let people know with clear signage etc as escalator accidents can get really messy.

[ramchop]

Apparently, there is no gray area -- the customs reverse abruptly after one station in between.

Yes what is the Station? And what happens at this "one station in between"? Is this the station with no rules?

[bejiita]

However, in Nagoya I encounter a lot of people who like to stand in the middle of the escalator.

Haha, sounds like the asshole station. How about countries? I noticed that in the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S., people will stand on the right and people will pass on the left. I always attributed this to people following the same driving etiquette: slower traffic keeps to the right while you pass on the left.

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

However, in Nagoya I encounter a lot of people who like to stand in the middle of the escalator.

Haha, sounds like the asshole station. How about countries? I noticed that in the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S., people will stand on the right and people will pass on the left. I always attributed this to people following the same driving etiquette: slower traffic keeps to the right while you pass on the left.

IN europe people just stand anywhere they want with out any consideration for who is behind. Its pretty hard to pass but if you want you just wind yourself through the line.