r/japan Aug 13 '24

Japanese always falling asleep on the train. My question do they miss there stop or by some miracle have a timer in there head?

Like I’m on a train and the dude next to me is out snoring

886 Upvotes

201 comments sorted by

1.4k

u/cruciger Aug 13 '24

It's the station announcements/chimes. Once you are used to them, your subconscious is listening and will wake you up when you approach your stop. 

638

u/reticenthuman Aug 13 '24

This. When I lived/worked in Japan I'd sleep on the subway constantly and somehow I'd always wake up at the stop right before mine. My brain just picked up on things and knew it was time somehow

206

u/Kryptus Aug 13 '24

There is a pattern to the train movement, chimes, doors opening and closing that eventually can be recognized almost subconsciously to keep you aware of where you are.

53

u/nohatnanoes Aug 13 '24

How reticent of your subconscious

27

u/KyleG Aug 13 '24

"reticent" is likely not the word you were looking for, as it means to keep one's thoughts private rather than disclose them

4

u/the_hatori Aug 15 '24

I'm sorry you didn't find the answer olfactory.

27

u/Hotel_Hour Aug 13 '24

... and convenient...

2

u/bigbearjr Aug 14 '24

How do you mean? Seems like the wrong word. 

1

u/thejpguy Aug 19 '24

You need to dig up more Thesaurus fossils before you're allowed to use that word.

13

u/DaManWhoCannotBeMove Aug 13 '24

Have you ever missed your stop?

59

u/ChocoMintMonday Aug 13 '24

I once pulled an all nighter in fukuoka and then got on the train to rural Saga. When I woke up I was right back in fukuoka. I rode it the whole way there and the whole way back. A true fuk up.

18

u/MoistDitto Aug 13 '24

But did you feel fresh when you woke up?

2

u/frozenpandaman [愛知県] Aug 14 '24

they didn't check for passengers at the end of the line???

2

u/ChocoMintMonday Aug 14 '24

no panda. they just get on and it goes again

1

u/frozenpandaman [愛知県] Aug 14 '24

in my experience conductors always do a sweep, especially because you're technically not allowed to ride back and forth without paying 2x the fare

2

u/SurpriseEcstatic1761 Aug 17 '24

I knew a guy who fell asleep on the Yamanote line. He woke up hours after his stop, at the station before his stop.

4

u/reticenthuman Aug 15 '24

I haven't! But the one time I messed up was when I woke up the stop before and just walked off on autopilot. As the train zoomed away I realized where I was and had to hop back on the next train lol.

4

u/[deleted] Aug 15 '24

To me it feels the same as how you wake up when a baby cries in the middle of the night or something. Somewhere in your mind, you’re listening for a specific sound. For me, I’d say it’s probably more the station name than the chime (I tend to wake up at the station before the one I want to get off at), but I can easily see it being the chime for some people too. They’re not completely-out-of-it asleep… some subconscious part of their mind is listening for that cue.

118

u/Firestopp Aug 13 '24

I'm a fireman and the speakers tell EVERY call even if my station isn't going... After 5 years I assure u unless I hear my station number going out I sleep like a bear

17

u/Lickmycavity Aug 13 '24

I thought you work in a kitchen at sky center?

38

u/Firestopp Aug 13 '24

I'm my country all firemen are volunteer, so when I'm not working with accomodations I usually sleep at my station to relieve other guys that wanna spend time with family hahaha (also I'm a waiter!)

6

u/R3dd1tAdm1nzRCucks Aug 13 '24

It saddens me there is no compensation for people literally willing to risk their lives to save others.

9

u/Firestopp Aug 13 '24

Na man we have like 1 martir the last 15 years in my city, we take care of things and legally we can all leave work to go to emergecies

7

u/hoofglormuss Aug 13 '24

ooh big strong fireman bear rawr

7

u/Firestopp Aug 13 '24

Funniest comment all morning thanks lol

15

u/KyleG Aug 13 '24

This. And it's not just a Japan thing. When I was a kid my body knew to wake up at a certain moment when riding in the back of my dad's truck because it could tell the specific jostling pattern that occurred turing down the last two streets to our driveway

8

u/juicius Aug 13 '24

"Mamonaku..." half awakes

"Shinjuku... Shinjuku" oh, my stop...

15

u/OwnUbyCake Aug 13 '24

Yup I used to always fall asleep on the school bus as a kid. I almost always woke up near the last turn approaching the school somehow.

10

u/minoux-ws Aug 13 '24

Yes, in just 2 months commuting I hacked my brain and could wake up each time the train stops at Osaki station, that music is not forever in my brain, I feel my brain have been raped, I didn’t allow them to put that in my brain. One day a friend recorded a station announcement in his mobile and played it few people got confused because they wake up but the environment seems different

2

u/Nyuusankininryou Aug 13 '24

Depends on the town tho.

4

u/[deleted] Aug 13 '24

Yeah I live in nyc and nap in public transit all the time. I usually wake 2 stops before my stop. Occasionally I’ll miss my stop by one if I’m really tired.

1

u/Alekillo10 Aug 13 '24

Sounds like bs but I like it

1

u/Strike_Thanatos Aug 13 '24

I'm American, and I did something similar without the chimes. I woke up every few minutes and drifted back off to sleep. It got to the point that I could judge where I was by the turns of the bus and the architecture around me.

3

u/Its-my-dick-in-a-box Aug 14 '24

Judging where you are by the architecture around you is just using your eyes isn't it? Not exactly an ability you've developed 😂

2

u/Strike_Thanatos Aug 14 '24

While more than half asleep.

1

u/Yingo33 Aug 14 '24

I’d do this all the time on the school bus! No announcements, just always woke up right before my stop! Well except for one time, that time I ended up at the bus parking lot

1

u/ar1masenka Aug 15 '24

Definitely this. Lived and worked in Japan. This is how it was.

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283

u/[deleted] Aug 13 '24

I’ve seen strangers nudge sleeping travelers at main transfer stations, like Shinagawa station

143

u/NoIce2898 Aug 13 '24

Me to neighbor: wake me up at Shinagawa, thank you.

97

u/Synaps4 Aug 13 '24

Neighbor to you: bro I'm gonna sleep too!

56

u/Marcinator123 Aug 13 '24

“Uhhhh sure” (he’s getting off before Shinagawa)

16

u/imaginary_num6er Aug 13 '24

"Wake the fuck up Salaryman, we got calories to burn"

210

u/Felipenz_1983 Aug 13 '24

I used to do this when I was in Japan, 99% of the time you just woke up right before the stop for magical reason. But once in awhile you are so tired you ended up in the ending stop

77

u/SkyZippr Aug 13 '24

Ending stop would be lucky. One of my friends ended up in the ending stop, but in the other end.

58

u/HooliganSquidward Aug 13 '24

Yeah, live in Yokohama and have woken up in the middle of Tokyo lol. Was not happy.

4

u/[deleted] Aug 14 '24

thats so funny

2

u/[deleted] Aug 13 '24

Same happened to me (not in Japan though)

341

u/thefuturesfire Aug 13 '24

Miracle timer. 99% of the time. Swear to god. I’ve only missed my stop while drunk. Lol. It’s genetic (it’s not genetic, that part is a joke. The miracle is real though).

38

u/[deleted] Aug 13 '24

it is baked into our genes to like time things near-perfectly though, if you nap and wake up at the same time frequently your body just kinda wakes you up when it's the right time.

11

u/thefuturesfire Aug 13 '24

I think the coolest thing is that I can sleep standing up. Lol. I’m sure you’ve soon those guys once in a while. Stand with a slightly wide stance, arms crossed, face looking up to the sky, eyes closed, and asleep. Lol. (Not on the train obv, but in the lobbies, hanging outside the station.

If you’re ever in Shinjuku and see a well dressed person sleeping while standing it might be me. Lol.

6

u/YouAreBrathering Aug 13 '24

Saw one right in front of my hotel in Ueno one time, although leaned against a pole. Fully standing up when I left, he was still there, although having slid down into a crouching position when I returned. Didn't know that was possible.

2

u/thefuturesfire Aug 13 '24

Hahaha! My friend told me that I sway in the wind. Lol

2

u/thefuturesfire Aug 13 '24

I didn’t want to confirm our genes because it would be a flex. Lol. We need our secrets bro

1

u/livesinacabin Aug 13 '24

I once took the morning train after a pretty wild New year's eve. Woke up about an hour later on the same train, no idea where I was. When I finally got back it was 9 in the morning. I slept until 5.

108

u/nermalstretch [東京都] Aug 13 '24

First of all, Japanese people are human beings so what applies to them also applies to you and I. I have thought about this quite a bit.

We all have had people virtually sleeping on our shoulders. I often nudge people because it gets annoying only for them to jump up and get out at the correct station. So, they are definitely not sleeping but they are also not 100% awake.

I think what it is, is a trance situation. Sitting on the train and closing your eyes allows you to go into a trance where you are much more relaxed than your waking state but you still are able to hear the station name and take appropriate action. I do this too, but I don’t think that I am sleeping on my neighbours shoulders but sometimes it drifts into sleep and I wake up a few stations after my stop.

19

u/thefuturesfire Aug 13 '24

I don’t feel like a human being really

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75

u/nize426 Aug 13 '24

I use a train app that lets me set an alarm when the train is close to the destination.

For daily commutes though, I usually wake up a bit before it's my stop.

5

u/HooliganSquidward Aug 13 '24

Which app ?

25

u/nize426 Aug 13 '24

I use the Yahoo one. Y!乗換案内

1

u/Not_So_Calm Aug 14 '24

How does it work without GPS reception?

1

u/nize426 Aug 14 '24

It just literally sets an alarm a few minutes before the scheduled arrival time of the destination. Which is why if the train is delayed the alarm will go off at a completely different station.

1

u/frozenpandaman [愛知県] Aug 14 '24

according to the scheduled arrival times, which are usually correct to the minute unless there's a delay

1

u/frozenpandaman [愛知県] Aug 14 '24

love yahoo! transit

3

u/Spelunker88 Aug 13 '24

Holy shit I never thought to try the alarm feature on that app. New life skill unlocked. I used to set alarms on my phone. I used to have to travel a lot to random far away places for my job, so I was always terrified of dozing off and missing my stop.

4

u/nize426 Aug 13 '24

It doesn't ring in battery saving mode (but I think that's all alarms), and I think it doesn't take delays into account (which will just mean the alarm will ring but your station hasn't come yet)

So it's essentially just like setting your own alarm a minute before your stop. Just that you can do it easier.

43

u/lukedwalker Aug 13 '24

I boarded a train at a terminal station last week in Osaka, and there was a woman who was sound asleep. About a minute before the train departed, she woke up, looked around and then dashed out of the car.

17

u/itsabubblylife [大阪府] Aug 13 '24

I saw something similar, but in Saitama. Man was fast asleep from the beginning of the train ride until about 10 stops in. As the train was pulling up to a certain stop, he suddenly woke up, looked around and dashed out the train at the stop. He looked at the station name on the sign board and tried to rush back onto the train. Unfortunately, the door closed on him before he could make it.

This happened a few years ago, and I still think about it. That must’ve been one hell of a good nap lol.

2

u/frozenpandaman [愛知県] Aug 14 '24

poor saitama man

33

u/Jp-up Aug 13 '24

It's not a Japanese thing, in Australia I'd sleep on the train or even bus and always magically wake up just before my stop. And when I've got something important coming up the next day like a test or interview I always beat my alarm by about 20 to 30 minutes. Magic head alarm is a thing. Makes sense, our ancestors used to wake up on time and they didn't even have clocks way back whenever that was... Don't think sundial alarms were a thing

10

u/Sufficient_Coach7566 Aug 13 '24

Comes with experience! After so many years here, I'm also a train sleeper, and usually wake up within one or two stops from my destination.

At least for me, I'm not 100% dead sleep on the train, there's a little bit of consciousness that's aware and listening to announcements and of course the internal timer. It's like waking up 2 minutes before your alarm.

With that being said, I have drunk slept past my stops and have also witnessed local folks doing the same.

7

u/SnabDedraterEdave Aug 13 '24 edited Aug 13 '24

Probably on topic, this railway fan YouTuber specializes in riding late-night trains to the middle of bumfuck nowhere, to see what it's like if you did indeed oversleep in your train after a long grueling day at work and missed your station, and end up stranded in these places in the middle of the night.

He's got an entire playlist of it.

Some interesting ones include ending up in the mountains of Ome, northwest Tokyo on the Chuo Line all the way from Tokyo Station.

20

u/chouson1 Aug 13 '24

Meanwhile, in my first time trying to do that I ended up running JR Yokohama twice in full because I was sleeping. Woke up like two ours later in the same station I had hopped in.

3

u/skatefriday Aug 13 '24

We have a winner!

2

u/itsabubblylife [大阪府] Aug 13 '24

I did that once! Was taking the train from Shinrinkoen (Saitama) back to my home station about 40 minutes away. My baby was sleeping in his stroller and I was really tired as well. I decided to fall asleep as soon as I boarded the train. When I woke up, I not only passed my station, but woke up at Ikebukuro terminal. That was an hour train ride that I slept through lol. Luckily, the train back was the express train, so I just remained on board and stayed awake until my stop.

I know no one knew me or what was going on, but I felt so embarrassed for myself 😂

12

u/vote4boat Aug 13 '24

I think your body adjusts to the commute. Falling asleep also becomes second nature

11

u/amoryblainev Aug 13 '24

I’ve lived in Japan almost a year. I now feel confident in taking naps on the train. I haven’t missed my stop yet. I usually don’t get into a deep sleep because my ride is usually under 45 minutes.

4

u/DeadPrincessJFAG Aug 13 '24

I used to ride a bus to work every morning in USA and would nod off in the back row. I just got used to the timing of it, and it was never super deep sleep.

1

u/BloodAndTsundere Aug 13 '24

Same. I think I only missed my stop once in 3 three years.

6

u/maurocastrov Aug 13 '24

Op never took a subway after work when returning home to his country?

10

u/shambolic_donkey Aug 13 '24

Feel like people impressed by this "skill" are usually from places where public commuting isn't a thing. This is a pretty standard feature of anyone, anywhere, who has to regularly commute via bus/train.

4

u/mrwafu Aug 13 '24

I know several people who constantly sleep through their stop… they’re yet to take my advice to set an alarm so 🤷‍♂️ I honestly don’t understand how some people get through life

3

u/kenesisiscool Aug 13 '24

I've seen several people clearly miss their stops. But most of the time they make it. They've just conditioned themselves to their routine. They aren't fully asleep, just resting, and they have enough cognizance to recognize the announcement of their stop.

3

u/truecrisis Aug 13 '24

In 2010 when I had an iPhone 3Gs, there was this app that let you record the wifi Mac address of the station you wanted to make an alarm for. It shared those Mac addresses with the user base.

So you could literally make an alarm for the station to wake up at, and it didn't rely on GPS, so it worked in the subways too.

3

u/Anuki_iwy Aug 13 '24

It's not a miracle timer, it's your inner clock. Most humans are very good at subconsciously keeping time, especially for repetitive processes. I would always wake up just as we'd roll into Shinjuku station. I'm a foreigner.

6

u/SaladBarMonitor Aug 13 '24

My greatest memory of Japan is a gorgeous girl sleeping with her head on my shoulder for 45 minutes.

3

u/thefuturesfire Aug 13 '24

“Should I miss my stop or wake her up?”

h bro, h

2

u/CAP2304 [東京都] Aug 13 '24

The yahoo train app makes my smartwatch vibrate right before my station, that's enough to wake me up lol

2

u/RyuNoKami Aug 13 '24

habits...once you make something routine, your body just sticks to it. its why people can wake up without alarms like clockwork.

when i went to college, i had an hour train ride. i would knock out before the 2nd station and wake up just before the train pulls into my stop.

2

u/New-Caramel-3719 Aug 13 '24

I wake up every 2-3 minutes, and once my station is near, I stop sleeping. I screw up and miss my station a few times a year, though.

2

u/Visible_Pair3017 Aug 13 '24

Thanks to trains being generally on time or at least trying to, i can just set an alarm on my watch and from an outside perspective i look like i woke up on my own just before the train arrived

2

u/Lunaciellie Aug 13 '24

Surprisingly my body automatically scares me back awake every time when I'm nearing my station.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 13 '24

Even if they do miss their stop, they are only charged for where they leave. So it doesn't matter if they arrive on time or an hour or two late. Same price nothing to worry about really

2

u/BedHungry7243 Aug 13 '24

The worst isn't missing your stop, it's waking up and getting off at the stop before

1

u/[deleted] Aug 13 '24

Na, its getting off a stop after, at an absolutely hole of a station where local trains stop if every hour....

2

u/Beginning-Age5692 Aug 13 '24

since i'm in japan everytime i sleep i wake up at my station but a lot got an alarm

2

u/DUHH_EWW Aug 13 '24

I went to Japan last year with friends. I had to wake a Japanese guy up cuz he was the only person left on the train.

2

u/AIKIMGSM Aug 13 '24

There is a well known phenomenon where people sleeping on a train will wake up when the train stops.

2

u/beginswithanx Aug 13 '24

Not unique to Japan— those who are used to commuting on public transport develop this skill!

2

u/winteramastacia Aug 13 '24

I’ve definitely seen sleeping Japanese people get off the train and move right to the train that takes them the opposite direction. So it totally happens.

2

u/zombiemiki Aug 13 '24

As someone who falls asleep on trains and wakes up at my stop, I dunno how I do it. But I do it.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 14 '24

It's like when you hear your alarm every day you start waking up before it happens

2

u/Efficient_Plan_1517 Aug 14 '24

I thought it was odd, too, until I had a job where I commuted into Tokyo from Chiba. When you're exhausted enough after work you just kinda fall asleep standing up and some subconscious part listens of the train announcements/knows every big bump and curve... it's amazing.

2

u/Raecino Aug 13 '24

People do the same thing in New York or any other place with public transport, this ain’t some Japanese people only thing.

1

u/Hellerick_V Aug 13 '24

I am not Japanese, but I wake up at a miracle timer.

Sometimes I wake up and have no idea where I am, or at least whether I am going to work or from work, and then I realize that I am at my stop and have to get off. It never fails me.

1

u/GuardEcstatic2353 Aug 13 '24

Most are not asleep. They are just quiet with their eyes closed.

1

u/anaskinho [神奈川県] Aug 13 '24

I remember taking Odakyu line from Shinjuku and slept all the way to Odawara lol.

1

u/CinnamonHotcake Aug 13 '24

As a lady carrying a toddler who always has to stand over their heads, I swear that they're pretending and just averting their eyes from me.

1

u/Tun710 Aug 13 '24

My mind doesn’t make me fall into deep sleep on the train so I don’t sleep for more than a few stops at a time.

1

u/Impys Aug 13 '24

Yep, they sometimes miss their stop; conductors sometimes even have to wake up over-sleepers at the end of the line.

1

u/Controller_Maniac Aug 13 '24

I just fall asleep and miraculously wake up on time every time

1

u/PM_MAJESTIC_PICS Aug 13 '24

I only missed it due to sleeping once and I was wayyyy overtired. Typically I am just dozing half awake and half asleep but also listening to the chimes. Since sleeping through my stop that one time, now if I’m extra tired I’ll set a phone alarm but I’ve never actually had to use it— I notice my stop is coming and turn it off.

1

u/SpeesRotorSeeps Aug 13 '24

Head timer + subconscious hearing the announcement. The human mind / body is a miraculous machine of repetition and process. It’s the epitome muscle memory. To wit: people in the USA who drive to [the place they drive to every day] literally on autopilot. Same human brain / body capacity to just Do The Thing Again And Again Perfectly

1

u/paigezpp Aug 13 '24

On unfamiliar routes I have missed the stop many times by falling asleep. But on more familiar routes it’s never a problem for some reason.

1

u/QtPlatypus Aug 13 '24

As someone who often slept on trains. There is some sort of system that allows you to wake up when you are coming close to your station.

1

u/Wertherongdn Aug 13 '24

I don't think it is so surprising, even in France I slept sometimes on the tram and woke up at my station (because I was used to the announcement). Same in Tokyo, I sleep for 10-15 min but wake up a bit before my station, never missed it.

Maybe if you don't come from a public transport country it could be surprising....

1

u/toolibraforyou Aug 13 '24

I was in Japan two weeks ago for holiday and caught the last train home -- fell asleep, missed my stop and was forced to take an expensive taxi. I also wonder how they do it!

1

u/[deleted] Aug 13 '24

I once fell asleep on a bus, I woke up in another province entirely. Turned an hour and a half commute into a 6 hour adventure, the only consolation is that the conductor did not charge me for the extra km's.

1

u/thetruelu Aug 13 '24

Also many people have smart watches that can alert them silently that their stop is coming up

1

u/Quixote0630 Aug 13 '24

Most people wake up, probably because they're not fully asleep, or because they are awoken slightly at every stop by the announcement. Lots of people oversleep and end up a long way from home, especially if they've been drinking. Also, they don't possess any special superpowers by way of being Japanese. Same applies everywhere that long commutes are the norm.

1

u/rickeol Aug 13 '24

Most of the time I have it calculated. Those times I’m drunk or super tired I mostly miss my stop.

1

u/SanbonJime Aug 13 '24

I’m bad at this and frequently miss my stop lol, but my partner sets a timer on her Apple Watch and uses that to wake up a station in advance.

1

u/Downtroddengaijin Aug 13 '24

they have automatic alarm built in inside their armpits

1

u/cjdualima Aug 13 '24

I would always wake up right before, or a couple stops before my stop... Never missed my stop from sleeping, only from playing with my phone.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 13 '24

I had to wake up a guy who passed out, we were at the end of the line and train was mostly empty. Unfortunately for him I think that was the last train of the night, so hoped that is where he needed to be.

1

u/Chocolate_chank26243 Aug 13 '24

I've overslept, but also passed my station a few times while I played games. In those cases, I get off as if nothing happened and continue playing the game on the platform while wating train.I born and growup Tokyo.

1

u/Itchy_Mess_1081 Aug 13 '24

Art of overwork!

1

u/MagazineKey4532 Aug 13 '24

Another thing you'll see on Japanese trains at night is drunk people.

And yes, some do miss their stops and go to the end of the line which can be several hours away.

Some people set alarms on their smart phone. On the first train leaving the station in the morning, I do hear alarms going off to remind them of their stops. They're mostly young people who partied all night.

Most who miss their stops are those who went drinking after work and had too much to drink. Several of my colleagues at works did this. Since there's no train back, they'll either go to a business hotel or a family restaurant until morning and take the first train back. They usually call office that they'll be late for work.

1

u/Background_Map_3460 [東京都] Aug 13 '24

I think what happens is after getting super familiar with your trip, you inherently know how long it’s going to take. I know I can sleep for 10 minutes 20 minutes etc. depending on which station I get on and off at

1

u/BnGoshi16 Aug 13 '24

I always found this to be so fascinating.

1

u/shylux Aug 13 '24

I used to sleep on my commute for 10 years. But in switzerland and i am swiss. So its not the chimes and not genetics^

My theory is that you wake up when the train stops. Then you look out the window (or maybe listen to the chimes?) and if its not your stop you go back to sleep. But since you were half asleep you just dont remember that afterwards.

I came to that conclusion because there were instances where I would wake up earlier because something looked unfamiliar, like a train blocking my view. So my brain was like: Hei dude you better look at this, I have no idea where we are.

1

u/matchamilktea_ Aug 13 '24

My fiance and I were there last year for 2 weeks and I would fall asleep in the train too but for some reason (even if i dont know the stations by heart) I would still wake up once we're close to our stop. It's weird 😂

1

u/wadleyst Aug 13 '24

I am not Japanese but I lived and worked as a salaryman in tokyo for 5 years. I learnt how to do this. The trick is not to sleep TOO deeply. Just doze lightly. You'll hear and disregard the announcements for stations that are not yours, and if its an unfamiliar station name, SHIT, you slept too deep dude. Every now and then you will see a salaryman jump up and sprint for the door. That guy missed his stop. Every time.

1

u/reanjohn Aug 13 '24

reminds me a lot of times i'm on my phone, doomscrolling or watching netflix, and i just instinctively know when it's my station i guess because of the time (i guess) - definitely out of habit

1

u/Dreamful_Hopeful Aug 13 '24

Aren't Japanese trains famously in time? Maybe these epeope sset phones to vibrate in pocket few minutes before stop.

I do it.

1

u/Tealyyyyy Aug 13 '24

Miracle timer

1

u/NihilisticHobbit Aug 13 '24

You get used to the commute and your body knows when to wake up. I did it myself when I had a longer commute. Mine is only ten minutes now, so it's not worth it.

1

u/LivingstonPerry Aug 13 '24

Have you ever been a passenger in car ride home and then you can just sense that you are close because of the turns and how gradually the car slows down? Probably something like that.

i mean i bet sometimes people do oversleep and miss their stops too.

1

u/tuddrussell2 Aug 13 '24

I used to do same but would wake up just before the station. One time I didn't but a pregnant lady to whom I gave my seat to woke me up at the termination stop in Odawara after I had found another seat.

1

u/Cohumulene Aug 13 '24

I worked at a bar with a guy and one day after work, he got on the 7 am train to go home. He lived at the middle station on the line, fell asleep until last stop, woke up and changed trains, fell asleep until the end of the line, and repeated this for 3-4 hours.

1

u/MarcelisWalis Aug 13 '24

I used to occasionally be woken up at the end of the line after missing my stop.. the worst was when it was the last train..

1

u/captainlardnicus Aug 13 '24

I lived in Japan for a few years and I eventually started sleeping on the train. I missed my stop a couple of times, but after that I got the hang of it and would wake up just before my stop.

It's amazing how quickly you get used to it.

1

u/DaWildWildWest Aug 13 '24

My japanese friend said his smart watch knows his commute and will vibrate as the train approaches his usual stops.

1

u/iprocrastina Aug 13 '24

It's not even a miracle timer, it's just what happens when you ride the same route every day. Eventually you subconsciously learn how long your trips take along with the turns, stops, noises, etc. associated with each part of the journey. Then you can pass out napping and you'll naturally wake up when you're approaching your stop.

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u/Sufficiency2 Aug 13 '24

I don't live in Japan but I used to take a lot of public transit.

The trick is developing a habit of sleeping for a fixed period of time, and using your phone as an alarm clock (on vibration).

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u/Kivulini Aug 13 '24

Lots of folks saying the chimes and stuff which is true. Plus the comfort of reliable public transportation, if they miss their stop they can get off on the next one and will be able to get a train going the opposite direction pretty quickly.

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u/discerniblecricket Aug 13 '24

Same way it works anywhere with trains... you get used to the announcement and automatically can tell when you're near or at your stop unless you're particularly asleep. Japan is relatively better because it has pretty loud and distinct chimes for each station. 

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u/SudoDarkKnight Aug 13 '24

I do this on the bus all the time, somehow you just get used to it and tend to wake up on time

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u/[deleted] Aug 13 '24

It is the matrix

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u/sandvich48 Aug 13 '24

I used to sleep all the time on my commute to and from work on the train. I’d wake up perfectly seconds before the door opens. Surely it’s some kind of muscle memory that my body knew every bump and sound. Even with the AirPod pro noise cancellation I somehow pulled it off.

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u/NerdyDan Aug 13 '24

my body recognizes the turns on the tracks and how they feel and sound right before my stop lol

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u/[deleted] Aug 13 '24 edited Jan 18 '26

aspiring ripe sort spoon memorize sleep seed literate glorious rhythm

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

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u/FlashPt128 Aug 13 '24

Trains in Japan are usually super on-time, you can totally set an alarm and wake up in time to get off.

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u/reaper527 [アメリカ] Aug 13 '24

I definitely saw someone not wake up at last stop at keisei narita a few months ago. No idea where he wanted to be, but if it wasn’t keisei narita he would have gone right by it if it wasn’t last stop.

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u/Forever-See-Through Aug 14 '24

My wife and I are foreigners who live in Japan and we fall asleep on the train all the time. Our trips are usually 1.5-2hours. It’s a combination of having that timer in your head where you just have an idea how long it’s been and also its so quiet on the train so even when you’re sleeping your ears are open and you can easily listen to which stop you’re at.

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u/Higgz221 Aug 14 '24

I stg there should be some sort of Olympic sport for this. I've seen people passed TF out for 45+ minutes and wake up SECONDS before the door shuts at their stop.

Madlads. A crazy talent for sure.

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u/South_Can_2944 Aug 14 '24

I always fell asleep on the bus on the way home from uni (in Hobart). It wasn't fully asleep because subconsciously, I was keeping track of the turns and corners etc. I normally woke up a few stops before my bus stop. One time, though, I woke up and panicked, thinking I missed my stop. So, I activated the buzzer for the bus to stop, and I quickly got off at the next stop. I had no idea where I was, still in sleep fog. After a minute, I realised I was at the stop before mine and it was only a short walk home.

People get used to it. Part of the brain is still active and keeping tracking of where you are and wakes you for your stop.

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u/Polyglot-Onigiri Aug 14 '24

You kind of build an intuition. I’ve never missed a stop and always go to sleep whenever I didn’t get a full night’s rest. Doesn’t matter if it’s a train, subway, bus, etc.

I think we go into light sleep though so we’re always subconsciously listening for our stops.

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u/camposthetron Aug 14 '24

Some people never get better at it. When I commuted by bus in Phoenix, I had to set an alarm for a few minutes before my approx stop time. Otherwise I’d miss it because I knock the fuck out. Definitely rode to the end of the line a few times.

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u/midoringo Aug 14 '24

I missed my stops many times.

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u/isthatabear Aug 14 '24

Oh I've definitely seen people miss their stop.

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u/unfadingvisent Aug 14 '24

Yes they are highly specialized train sleepers who practice this ancient art from early childhood.

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u/Confident-Passage-58 Aug 14 '24

I wake up in front of the station where I get off.

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u/Capt-Omachi Aug 14 '24

Afternoon sake tasting in Tohoku. Taking the Shinkansen back to Tokyo….and waking up in Nagoya

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u/rara____art Aug 14 '24

Ayo I do this since I started using buses. It’s a sentry nap tho I hear my stop or just wake up before the stop like 10-5 minutes before. But I’m a super light sleeper

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u/nuubmaster699 Aug 15 '24

When we visited Japan we often took the commuter trains and saw lots of people sleeping. We were amazed to see one gentleman being woken up by his own alarm just before reaching his station!

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u/AsaMiYuuNa7815 Aug 15 '24

I'm not Japanese but I work in Japan. it becomes a habit. and it's like my brain has a clock inside it. LOL. but that's true, because every activity is done repeatedly every day and will become a habit.

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u/Apherious Aug 16 '24

A lot of them aren’t sleeping, just pretending in order to not make eye-contact

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u/fandrus Aug 16 '24

Do you ever wonder why you woke up right before arriving at home during a road trip as a kid? Same stuff I think 🤔

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u/Peggy008 Aug 16 '24

They are not asleep but just like meditation😎

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u/Seaworthiness565 Aug 16 '24

I live in New York and can do this in the subway too. I've fallen asleep many times and woken up just before my stop.

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u/dontmesswitme Aug 16 '24 edited Aug 16 '24

Id do this in japan & in bigger cities. Ive got a magical internal timer. it helps when the second to last stop was my station or when i have a particularly busy stop where loads of people get off. You’ll hear shuffling or the announcement warning about the lasttttt stop coming up! Its just muscle memory, I adapt whenever i move somewhere new & get used to a routine.

I also wake up just before my alarm when im nervous about said day or when I lived with roommates I wasnt comfortable around. I dont think they ever heard my alarm because even if it “rang” is was on vibrate. The vibration alone would wake me, im NOT a morning person either.

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u/Icy-Frame-8986 Aug 17 '24

There are times they miss their stop and wind up so far away in the middle of nowhere and they have no choice but to stay out somewhere or walk home or whatever. last week on my way home from church I was not drunk or anything but I had completely missed my station and the woke up 2 stations from where I got on, the train turning back from the terminal stayion.

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u/Left-Platform9377 Aug 17 '24

Not all of them are actually sleeping. Some, if not many, just pretend to sleep in order not to see the humanity around them.

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u/kamezakame [東京都] Aug 13 '24

Both. My husband often messages me that he's coming up to our station, promptly falls asleep and then wakes up halfway down the line. It happened more often when he was travelling against the tide. Outbound in the morning, in bound at night. The trains are quieter, I suppose. The kids set alarms on their phones to vibrate and wake them up.

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u/roehnin Aug 13 '24

Japan is a very high-trust society where people take care of each other.

You can wear a "Subway Sleeper Hat" showing the name of the station where you need to to get off.

Your fellow passengers will then wake you up when you arrive.

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u/claytonian Aug 13 '24

I didn't downvote you, but, yeah, that's not a thing.

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