In Japan, accurate train schedules have been made by hand since ancient times. Because there are transfers, it is necessary to make them very accurate. People used to carry thick, relatively compact booklets called timetables to check transfer and arrival times. With the advent of computers, this task has become much easier. So it is unthinkable in Japan for trains not to arrive on time. It must be a difference in national character, but Japanese people are surprisingly skillful.
In Japan, accurate train schedules have been made by hand since ancient times. Because there are transfers, it is necessary to make them very accurate. People used to carry thick, relatively compact booklets called timetables to check transfer and arrival times. With the advent of computers, this task has become much easier. So it is unthinkable in Japan for trains not to arrive on time. It must be a difference in national character, but Japanese people are surprisingly skillful.