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The story
A post on Threads claiming that a free-fare toddler was occupying an entire seat in an unreserved car on the Tokaido Shinkansen went viral, sparking mixed reactions. Shinkansen fare rules for toddlers state that up to two children per adult can ride free on an adult’s lap, but a child’s fare is required if the child occupies a seat alone — and JR Central’s position on the matter has also been reported. In response, a thread on 5ch saw a wide range of opinions clash, touching on unreserved-seat etiquette, the de facto seat-hogging via luggage, and backlash against the trend of prioritizing parents traveling with children.
Posted 10/11 (Sun) 7:00 AM
Shukan Josei PRIME
A post on Threads about etiquette in the unreserved cars of the Tokaido Shinkansen has sparked mixed reactions.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
This is exactly the type who kicks up a fuss without reading the rules.
Some trains do make those annoying announcements telling you to hold your bag in front of you when it gets crowded.
Those who get government benefits are above those who pay the taxes — the taxpayers might as well be their slaves.
Got something to say about it? I've got kids, you know??
I'm raising tomorrow's taxpayers, you know??? Huh? You got a problem with that???
That's basically how it is.
The taxes and labor childless people contribute over a lifetime are basically worthless — parents actually pay far more in taxes.
That kind of logic doesn't fly.
Just call it the 'selfish seat' and be done with it.
Sounds like something out of a rakugo story lol (rakugo = traditional Japanese comedic storytelling)
Even kids should have to pay if they're taking up a seat.
Reserved seats are a no-go.
Basic rules for toddlers and reserved seating:
• On a lap (free): If the child sits on an adult's lap without occupying a seat, up to 2 toddlers per adult ride free. In unreserved cars, it's free as long as the child isn't taking up a seat.
• Using a reserved seat (paid): Even a toddler must have a child's ticket (half the adult fare) if they occupy a reserved seat (standard or Green Car) by themselves.
• Traveling with 3 or more toddlers: Only 2 toddlers per adult ride free. From the third child onward, a child's fare applies even in unreserved cars.
On Meitetsu, even toddlers have to pay the seat charge to ride the μ-SKY limited express.
The Shinkansen fare is a limited-express ticket plus a basic fare ticket. It's only the Green Car where they charge extra for the seat itself, right?
I rode the Shinkansen the other day, and
in a situation like this, you'd normally just switch seats, right?
Some oblivious idiot ruined what should've been a fun trip.
★Me ◆| |●Wife
Asked ★: "Would you mind switching seats with my wife?"
Asked ◆: "Would you mind switching seats with my wife?"
Asked ●: "Would you mind switching seats with me?"
And every single one said "no"?? Unbelievable.
★ and ◆ had no obligation to, so quit whining — just pay ● some money.
So by that logic anyone should be free to sit in the driver's seat too, since the driver rides without paying.
I saw a foreign tourist get called out by the conductor recently and reluctantly move to the unreserved car.
Well, not quite that far.
But I do think it'd be nice if kids could sit next to the driver for an educational experience —
limited to elementary-school age or younger, as a kind of special service.
Kids would probably love it.
With all the inbound tourism, Shinkansen occupancy stays pretty high even on weekdays. There are discounts aimed at foreign tourists too, so it gets really crowded.
Hikari/Kodama: 530 yen
Nozomi:
• Tokyo–Nagoya: 740 yen
• Tokyo–Shin-Osaka: 850 yen
Wasn't the kid not even sitting there though?
They said something like "my kid's going to sit here" and "once they finish eating," so at that moment the kid was probably elsewhere and the seat was actually empty.
Exactly this. I can't fathom what kind of upbringing leads to that kind of behavior.
I think there was also a version of the story where someone else sat down while the kid was in the bathroom.
It's basically musical chairs at that point.
So you can't even go to the bathroom now? Truly a dog-eat-dog world lol
That's right.
If a parent goes to the bathroom with their kid, then even the parent loses the seat.
And there's no way you'd send a small child alone.
Just accept it — there's no such thing as a "right" to hold a seat.
That's taking "unreserved" way too literally lol. Not okay even on regular commuter trains.
We've ended up in a world where yielding to others or holding back just means you lose out.
If there are plenty of other empty seats, fine, I'll let it slide. But people who keep doing that even as the train fills up — I honestly wish every single one of them would get fired from their job.
Background and Key Points of This Topic
Shinkansen toddler fare rules work like this: up to two children per adult can ride free if seated on an adult’s lap, but a child’s fare (half the adult rate) is required if the child occupies a seat alone. Because unreserved-seat tickets are cheap — only around 530 yen — many passengers skip reserved seating altogether and ride in the unreserved cars, which makes disputes over how this free allowance is handled more likely to flare up when cars get crowded. In the thread, opinions split between “parents with young children deserve some consideration” and “by the rules, this should require payment.” Commenters also brought up the related practice of placing luggage on an empty adjacent seat to effectively claim it, as well as how crowded unreserved cars have become amid the tourism boom — with this post being treated as a symbolic example of that broader trend. While the original news report simply conveys JR Central’s official position, the thread’s focus shifted more toward poor awareness of the actual rules and broader skepticism toward the unreserved-seat system itself — a nuance that doesn’t come through in the article alone.
*This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “[Shinkansen] ‘How Many Times Do I Have to Say It?!’ — Post Sparks Mixed Reactions as a Free-Fare Toddler Takes Up a Whole Seat on a Crowded Unreserved Car, JR Central Responds.”
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