- 🧩 Part 1: The Curious Silence on Japanese Trains
- 🧩 Part 2: Real Voices—Experiences from Foreigners
- 🧩 Part 3: Cultural Framing—What “Personal Space” Means in Japan
- 🧩 Part 5: Misinterpretation vs Reality—Is It Racism?
- 🧩 Part 6: How to Respond (or Not Respond)
- 🧩 Part 7: Final Thoughts—Understanding Through Distance
- 🔗 References
🧩 Part 1: The Curious Silence on Japanese Trains
You board a train in Tokyo. There are no empty rows, but the seat next to you stays open.
Even as others get on, they stand—sometimes even hover—rather than sit beside you.
If you’re a foreigner in Japan, you’ve likely experienced this quiet phenomenon.
It might feel personal. Discriminatory, even.
But is it?
This article explores why some Japanese passengers appear to avoid sitting next to foreigners, and whether it’s really about race, or something deeper—like cultural values, psychology, and social behavior.
🧩 Part 2: Real Voices—Experiences from Foreigners
🚃 Case 1: Reddit Discussion
A foreigner asked:
“Why do people avoid sitting next to me on Japanese trains?”
The replies were surprisingly unified:
- “They do that to everyone.”
- “I’m Japanese, and people often avoid sitting next to me too.”
- “It’s about personal space—not xenophobia.”
One user added:
“Sometimes it’s about scent—perfume, sweat. Japanese people are very sensitive to smells in tight spaces.”
📌 This reveals the first key point: many Japanese people avoid sitting next to anyone if they can help it—regardless of nationality.
🚃 Case 2: Japan Explained Blog
In a personal essay, a long-term expat shared:
“Japanese people might avoid sitting next to foreigners because of many small worries: ‘Will I have to speak English? Will they be loud? Will others judge me?’”
Rather than outright rejection, this behavior reflects social hesitation.
→ A mix of politeness, self-consciousness, and overthinking—not hostility.
🧩 Part 3: Cultural Framing—What “Personal Space” Means in Japan
Now we enter the deeper analysis portion.
Let’s look at why this behavior is not about exclusion, but negotiated distance.
🧠 Space Is Psychological, Not Just Physical
A cross-cultural study comparing German and Japanese social spacing found:
- Japanese people prefer wider interpersonal distances, especially among women.
- Even in crowded places, they adjust posture, gaze, or behavior to maintain an invisible boundary.
So when you sit alone, it’s not that people are rejecting you—it’s that they’re avoiding closeness in general.
🧠 The Train as a “Shared Silence Zone”
Japanese trains are governed by unwritten rules:
- Don’t talk loudly
- Don’t make eye contact
- Don’t disturb the “air”
Brigitte Steger, a scholar from Cambridge University, analyzed how Japanese commuters use sleep, gaze avoidance, and body positioning to defend their “bubble.”
📌 Sitting next to someone—especially a large, unfamiliar presence—can feel like an intrusion into that psychological space, not just a physical act.
🧩 Part 5: Misinterpretation vs Reality—Is It Racism?
Let’s address the uncomfortable question directly.
“Isn’t it racist if Japanese people avoid foreigners?”
Not necessarily. Here’s why:
🧭 Cultural Conservatism ≠ Hostility
Medium columnist Anusha Rao explains:
“Japanese people often hesitate to sit next to foreigners not because they dislike them, but because they overthink how to behave.”
They may worry:
- Will I have to speak English?
- Will I offend them by sitting too close?
- Will others stare at me?
This is cultural anxiety, not discrimination.
Avoidance is a form of silent politeness, not aggression.
🧠 The Concept of “Enryo” (遠慮)
In Japanese culture, enryo means holding back, refraining, being considerate by stepping away.
When a seat is left empty, it’s sometimes out of enryo, not exclusion.
Japanese people do it to each other too—especially when:
- Someone looks tired
- Someone is older
- Someone appears “different”
The action is contextual and situational, not targeted.
🧩 Part 6: How to Respond (or Not Respond)
If this happens to you, here’s how to handle it gracefully:
| Situation | Response |
|---|---|
| Empty seat remains next to you | Let it go—don’t take it personally |
| Someone hesitates near you | Smile or make room if you want to invite them in |
| You feel isolated repeatedly | Try changing carriages or times of day—rush hour can be more “equalizing” |
📌 Don’t assume the worst. What you’re experiencing may be discomfort, not rejection.
🧩 Part 7: Final Thoughts—Understanding Through Distance
Japanese society values harmony, silence, and indirectness.
Sometimes that creates visible distance—on a train seat, in a shop, in a conversation.
But behind that distance is often:
- Respect, not rejection
- Caution, not coldness
- Structure, not stigma
To live in or visit Japan is to learn that silence and space can mean many things—and that not all are hostile.
So if someone doesn’t sit next to you on the train, it might not be about you at all.
It might be about how Japan relates to the world—quietly, cautiously, and always considering the other’s space.
🔗 References
- “Why Do People Avoid Sitting Next to Me?” – Reddit Thread
- “Why Japanese Don’t Sit Next to Foreigners” – Japan Explained Blog
- Cambridge Research on Personal Space – Brigitte Steger
- Cross-Cultural Distance Study – Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology
- Medium Article: Why Complaining About Japanese Trains Misses the Point
