TDL Brief: Public Transit in Japan
Designing transportation systems is a nefarious exercise in decision-making. This design challenge must integrate the everyday choices and movement patterns of thousands of people, rendering it an inherently behavioral problem. Effective public transit systems provide a reliable solution, enabling efficient travel on a local and international level (with an added plus of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions from car travel). However, effective transport systems require more than just high functioning machines; they require an understanding of human drives and behavioral patterns. Jinhua Zhaou, an MIT Professor and director of the MIT Mobility Initiative, states “The main part of my own thinking is the recognition that transportation systems are half physical infrastructure, and half human beings.”
Japan’s public transportation system is universally lauded. Interconnected networks of metros, busses, trains, and Shinkansen (bullet trains traveling up to 320 kilometers per hour) enable smooth movement throughout the country. Japanese transit is notably punctual despite facilitating travel for around 12 billion passengers per year. Embedded within their vast physical infrastructures, Japanese transit systems have also incorporated behavioral nudges to increase transit usage and improve user experience. By understanding the inextricable relationship between behavioral science and transportation infrastructure, we can gain a deeper understanding of what makes Japanese public transit successful.
1. Music to our ears
By: The Straits Times, The man behind Japan's 'train departure melodies (April 2018)
Seven seconds before a train departs in Japan, a soothing electronic jingle sounds out to notify passengers boarding and exiting the train cars. The steady pacing and consistent duration of these jingles, known as hassha melodies, attempt to bring joy to passengers, signal departures and circulation, and decrease the fast-paced stress of commuting. Composer Minori Mukaiya has written over 170 hassha melodies and amassed a sizable following. Within these short and whimsical songs, Mukaiya ingrains nods to Japanese culture and the geographic environments of the trains. For example, on the uphill journey to Shibuya station on the Tokyo line, Mukaiya mirrors the ascending landscape with ascending notes and growing volume.
Over time, Japanese commuters become accustomed to hassha melodies. Through repetition, the seven-second auditory cues become a part of everyday life in association with movement from train to platform. Even if they seem like a small detail, hassha melodies bring life to transportation infrastructure.
References
- Demetriou, D. (2019, September 24.). Why is Japan so obsessed with punctuality? The Telegraph. Retrieved December 10, 2020, from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/japan/articles/why-japan-so-obsessed-with-punctuality/
- (2018, April 10). The man behind Japan’s “train departure melodies” [Text]. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/the-man-behind-japans-train-departure-melodies
- Richarz, A. (2017, March 19). Why Japan’s Rail Workers Can’t Stop Pointing at Things. Atlas Obscura. http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/pointing-and-calling-japan-trains
- Richarz, A. (2018, May 22). The Amazing Psychology of Japanese Train Stations. Com. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-22/the-amazing-psychology-of-japanese-train-stations
About the Authors
Dan Pilat
Dan is a Co-Founder and Managing Director at The Decision Lab. He is a bestselling author of Intention - a book he wrote with Wiley on the mindful application of behavioral science in organizations. Dan has a background in organizational decision making, with a BComm in Decision & Information Systems from McGill University. He has worked on enterprise-level behavioral architecture at TD Securities and BMO Capital Markets, where he advised management on the implementation of systems processing billions of dollars per week. Driven by an appetite for the latest in technology, Dan created a course on business intelligence and lectured at McGill University, and has applied behavioral science to topics such as augmented and virtual reality.
Dr. Sekoul Krastev
Sekoul is a Co-Founder and Managing Director at The Decision Lab. He is a bestselling author of Intention - a book he wrote with Wiley on the mindful application of behavioral science in organizations. A decision scientist with a PhD in Decision Neuroscience from McGill University, Sekoul's work has been featured in peer-reviewed journals and has been presented at conferences around the world. Sekoul previously advised management on innovation and engagement strategy at The Boston Consulting Group as well as on online media strategy at Google. He has a deep interest in the applications of behavioral science to new technology and has published on these topics in places such as the Huffington Post and Strategy & Business.
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