Is It Rude for Kids to Be Loud on the Shinkansen? Japanese Riders Call It "Bad Luck," Not a Crime

What Japanese people said — picked from the top 60 of 343 comments

• "The Green Car isn't a place to sleep" — that's so obvious I'd actually forgotten it.

  「グリーン車は寝る場所じゃない」って、当たり前すぎて忘れてたわ

  — @za3685Most liked160 likes

• I completely get that it can't be helped when a baby or kid cries or makes noise... but honestly, whether it's a plane or the shinkansen, if I'm nearby I do find it loud. Especially since I'm the nervous type. Of course I just keep it to myself — I'd never actually say "it's loud, make them be quiet!"...

  赤ん坊や子供が泣いたり騒いだりするのは仕方がない これはすごい分かる...のだけど、正直なところ言うと飛行機であれ新幹線であれ近場にいたらうるさいなとは思ってしまう。自分が神経質だから余計にね。 もちろん心の中に留めとくだけであって「うるさいから静かにさせろ！」なんてことは言わないけれど、、、

  — @まなぴ-z8s78 likes

• Don't go expecting some kind of luxury service just because it's the Green Car lol

  グリーン車如きでそんな極上のサービス期待すんなよ😂

  — @もっつぁん-p3v55 likes

• Well, Green Car or not, I think it comes down to the parents' discipline. A baby I get, but a kid running around is a no for me.

  まぁグリーンに限らず親の躾やと思うわ 赤ちゃんはまだわかるけど走り回る子供とかは嫌やな

  — @ネロ帝-g3u16 likes

• Of course it's not the kid's fault for crying, and I get that parents sometimes have no way to stop it, but I've run into parents on the train a few times who were taking photos of their crying kid going "so cute, so cute," and that put me off. In the end I think it comes down to the parent. Nobody's blaming the baby. There's just a certain number of parents who want to hide behind their kid.

  子供が泣くのはもちろん仕方がないことだし、親もお手上げの時があるのは分かるんだけど、何回か電車で泣いてる子供を可愛い可愛い言いながら写真撮ってる親に遭遇したことがあって引いた。結局は親だと思う。誰も赤ちゃんを責めてるわけじゃない。子供盾にしてやりたい方だの親が一定数いるだけ。

  — @user-cr2gt1fi8m18 likes

• Yeah, a kid's screaming really is grating and irritating. It's fine if the parent is trying to soothe them, but seeing them just leave it and sit there on their phone genuinely makes me angry.

  確かに子供の鳴き声は耳障りでイラつく。親があやしたりしてればいいが放置しスマホしてる姿はマジ腹立つ

  — @さとみん-DGS22 likes

• I wish they'd bring back the private compartments that used to exist, for families with kids. Having a dedicated car for families with kids would cause the least conflict.

  昔あった個室、子連れ向きに復活して欲しい。 子連れ専用車両あるのが1番対立が生まれない。

  — @地方Jサポ57 likes

• If a kid cries, well, that can't be helped. I mean, it's annoying if the parent isn't dealing with it properly, but still, it can't be helped.

  泣いちゃったらしょうがないやろ まあ親がちゃんと対応してなかったらムカつくけど、まあしょうがない

  — @トレルト2 likes

• I can't go anywhere without my noise-cancelling earphones now lol

  ノイキャンのイヤホンが手放せないよ😂

  — @おにいちゃん-x2i11 likes

Is it rude for a baby to cry on the Shinkansen?

No — crying is involuntary, so Japanese riders say nobody blames the baby itself. One rider admits it's still grating to sit near even while agreeing it isn't the baby's fault (78 likes). The real criticism lands on parents who notice a toddler misbehaving and keep scrolling their phone instead of stepping in (22 likes).

Does the Green Car (first class) guarantee a quiet ride on the Shinkansen?

No. Japan once ran dedicated family compartments on some trains, but they were retired and nothing has replaced them (57 likes for wishing they'd come back). A Green Car ticket buys a reserved, wider seat, not soundproofing.

What do Japanese travelers actually do about a crying child nearby?

The practical fix is noise-cancelling earphones or earplugs (11 likes). Several riders just call it bad luck and wait it out rather than say anything to the parents directly.

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