If you have ever visited Japan, you have probably encountered a crowded train at least once. Especially in urban centers such as Tokyo, there are always many people using trains regardless of the time of day. The large number of people using public transportation is one of the reasons for the health of the Japanese people. In this article, we will discuss the use of public transportation in Japan and the benefits of train commuting for health.
Commuting Conditions in Japan and the World
According to the Japanese Census, the number one mode of transportation used by commuters in Japan is the private car, at 46.5%. This is followed by railroads and trains at 16.1%. However, there are regional differences, with urban areas having the highest percentage of rail/train use: 44.5% in Tokyo, 33.1% in Kanagawa Prefecture, and 28.6% in Osaka Prefecture.
On the other hand, in the U.S., which has the image of a car-based society, according to The American Community Survey, 76% of U.S. workers commute to work by car, and about 85% when carpooling is included. Only 5.2% use public transportation.
And in Europe as a whole, the PageGroup survey found that 66% of commuters primarily drive to work and 34% use public transportation.
And there are many differences between the train situation in Japan and the rest of the world, not only in the percentage of use.
As you may have already experienced, the rush hour trains are packed. Even though the trains come every few minutes and on time, the morning commuter train is a battlefield for Japanese people who cannot afford to miss a single train.
The railroad network is so vast and complex that even we Japanese can get lost. In particular, train stations in major cities such as Shinjuku and Shibuya are ridiculously called “dungeons. There are train entrances and exits all over the city, and many different train lines (JR, private railways, subways, etc.) serve the same station, and even within the same line there are different types of express, semi-express, and commuter rapid trains.
Reference：https://www.stat.go.jp/data/kokusei/2010/final/pdf/01-11_5.pdf
http://Transport and commute | Research | Page Personnel
https://www.vision-net.co.jp/morebiz/commuting-situation
People who commute by train or bus have lower rates of obesity
Let’s look at the health benefits of Japanese people who frequently use public transportation such as trains and buses.The National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM) is conducting a multicenter, job-based study (J-ECOH Study) of approximately 100,000 employees of more than a dozen companies headquartered in the Kanto and Tokai regions. The study participants, 29,758 of whom were followed for 5 years, showed that commuting to work on foot, by bicycle, or by public transportation such as trains and buses was associated with reduced weight gain.
Looking at the amount of change in BMI over a 5-year period in the study results, those who commuted to work by active means such as walking or biking or by public transportation did not show much increase in BMI, but those who commuted to work by car showed a trend toward an increase in BMI. In addition, while private exercise tended to suppress the increase in BMI, commuting by public transportation, with or without exercise, suppressed the increase in BMI, while commuting by car tended to increase BMI more.
Other studies comparing “obesity rates” with the mode of commuting have shown that the obesity rate among those who commute to work by car is 40% to 50% higher than the rate among those who commute by public transportation other than cars.
If you commute by public transportation, you first walk from your home to the nearest station. Then you take a train to your workplace. As you know, the railroad network in the city center is complex. You will probably change trains at least once. If the train line changes, you may have to move from one end of the station to the other, or you may have to go above ground and transfer to another train. Once you arrive at the station closest to your workplace, you walk to your workplace. They then take the same route home. While lack of exercise is a global problem, this lifestyle is one of the habits that helps the Japanese people to exercise.
Reference：https://ccs.ncgm.go.jp/news/2019/20191122.html
https://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/toshikotsu/kashikoi_h21/kenkou.html
Physical inactivity and obesity are now a worldwide problem, but increasing the amount of time we spend walking in our daily lives can have a positive impact on our health. Even for those who have difficulty setting aside time for exercise, simply taking advantage of commuting time to switch from car to train, bus, bicycle, or walking can increase daily consumption. However, public transportation conditions vary from country to country. If your only option is to commute by car, by all means increase the amount of time you spend walking in your private time. Even a small daily accumulation will have a positive effect on your body!
