On the August 28 broadcast of the radio show ‘Weekly! Shabe-Laser’ (SBS Radio), Kazlaser complained that the curtains on Shinkansen windows are “too thin.” Even when pulled down, he said, about 80% of the sunlight still gets through, leaving him unable to sleep because of the glare — a comment that sirabee.com turned into an article, which then went viral. On 5ch, the reaction was split: practical suggestions like “just carry an eye mask” made up the majority, but there were also plenty of replies speculating that the curtains “might be deliberately thin to stop people from sleeping through their stop,” as well as comments that went further and judged Kazlaser himself, saying his “whole act has become nothing but complaining.” The thread ended up split between practical advice and commentary on the man himself.
Kazlaser, of the comedy duo Maple Chogokin, appeared on the radio show ‘Weekly! Shabe-Laser’ (SBS Radio) on the 28th. He brought up the in-car environment of the Shinkansen and voiced his displeasure, saying, “The window curtains are way too thin.”
“When you ride the Shinkansen, there’s a curtain on the window, right? I always think that thing is way too thin,” Kazlaser began, pointing out that even when you pull the curtain down to block the sunlight, “about 80% of the light still comes through” — criticizing how poor it is at actually blocking light.
“You pull it down because you don’t want the sunlight, right? But it still flickers through completely…” he said, revealing his discomfort while riding.
Source: sirabee.com / Original article here
2AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:59
Hint
An eye mask
89AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:36
Re: #2
That pretty much settles it, doesn't it.
Also, if they made every curtain thick, everyone would close them in summer, but if it gets that dark, it'll mess with the body clocks of people riding for hours.
Being bright during the day is healthier.
124AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:51
Re: #2 already wrapped it up 😅
3AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:01
That's the finished form, right there.
Changing as little as possible from the status quo is basically their creed.
JR Central is just that kind of company.
4AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:01
Either stick a portable blackout curtain over the window,
or just wear an eye mask.
6AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:01
Isn't it deliberately set up so you don't fall into a deep sleep?
8AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:04
He's a comedian who can't actually say anything funny, so he covers for it by making complaining his whole act.
9AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:04
Kazlaser really only ever says interesting things… (sarcasm)
11AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:04
Get an eye mask, sunglasses, whatever — handle it yourself.
12AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:04
Watch some baseball ⚾ and you'll drift right off 💦
69AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:27
Re: #12
Watching soccer ⚽ is just painful, like some kind of punishment game.
13AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:05
I figured he was the laid-back type, but turns out he's actually kind of naggy.
91AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:37
Re: #13
I used to think he was a rare kind of comedian with a unique sensibility, different from ordinary people, but now he's just turned into a weirdly high-and-mighty complainer, lol.
14AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:05
More importantly, just install UV-cut glass already.
16AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:05
Use an eye mask, or one of those MEGRHYTHM heated steam eye masks (a popular Japanese eye-mask brand).
It's public transport, so it can't be helped.
Good thing private compartments are coming soon —
you can make it as dark as you like in there.
18AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:06
If it got that dark, you'd just end up with weird crimes again.
23AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:08
I've had more than enough of this kind of complaining, honestly.
24AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:09
Why would JR design seating around the assumption that passengers sleep during the day?
That's way too niche a demand.
25AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:10
Not funny at all, and this guy still gets paid just for complaining — nice work if you can get it.
26AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:10
Just carry an eye mask like everyone else.
They're small enough to fit in a pocket with room to spare.
27AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:11
Self-centered people just don't get it, lol.
That's the railway company's [kindness] right there. Unlike local lines, if you doze off on the Shinkansen and miss your stop, you'll end up way, way further down the line, haha.
They make the curtains [deliberately] thin so it doesn't get dark, precisely so passengers don't fall asleep, lol.
lol lol lol lol lol ꉂꉂ(ᵔᗜᵔ*)
31AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:12
This would be solved instantly if he just carried his own eye mask.
32AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:13
If you can fix it yourself, just fix it yourself.
33AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:13
Maybe it's so people don't sleep too deeply and miss their stop?
34AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:14
I'm sick of celebrities who keep trying to make me listen to their gripes and pet peeves.
35AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:14
Since when did the Shinkansen become a sleeper car?
Has he fallen so far he needs to invent self-serving complaints just to generate buzz?
I mean, was he ever really a comedian to begin with? With quiz shows drying up, all he's got left is nitpicking as his act…
Go make yourself a pitch-black helmet and use that instead.
36AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:15
Sleeping on the Shinkansen? That's some serious peace-addled complacency talking (heiwa-boke — a lack of vigilance blamed on living somewhere too peaceful).
38AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:15
Re: #1
The point is to block direct sunlight. Beyond that, adjust with your own eyelids.
39AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:15
It's probably a fire-resistance standard thing.
Somebody stop letting comedians weigh in on everything already.
40AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:15
It's not a vehicle for sleeping in, you idiot!
44AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:17
This guy's complaints keep getting more and more self-centered too.
45AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:17
This comment's got him way too full of himself. He's mistaking himself for the center of the universe.
48AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:18
It's not a place meant for sleeping, after all.
If it became a genuinely comfortable place to sleep, more people would miss their stop, and that's just more work for the conductor.
51AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:19
They can't go build a perfect sleep environment and then get stuck dealing with people oversleeping past their stop, lol.
53AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:20
This thread has basically turned into an eye-mask thread lol.
96AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:39
Just bring an eye mask.
Do celebrities seriously only ever have material about Shinkansen, planes, and taxis?
104AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:42
Re: #96
The Hyuma Hoshi one is recommended (a novelty eye mask themed after the intense-eyed protagonist of the classic anime Star of the Giants).
Background and Key Points of This Topic
Among the replies, some speculated that the reason Shinkansen window curtains feel thin might be the fire-resistance standards imposed on interior materials, or a deliberate effort to stop passengers from dozing off and missing their stop. However, neither of these is an official explanation from JR — they remain purely user speculation. In fact, unlike local trains, the Shinkansen has fewer stops and shorter stopping times, so if you fall into a deep sleep, the risk of being carried a long way past your intended stop before the next one is significant. While practical opinions along the lines of “this is solved just by using an eye mask” made up the majority of the thread, a fair number of responses also framed Kazlaser’s comment itself as “complainer-like” or “attention-seeking,” with the conversation notably drifting more toward judging the man’s reputation than debating the actual content. Some replies also mentioned Shinkansen cars with private compartments, referencing a service that JR companies have been rolling out in recent years — though the thread being covered here isn’t actually debating the merits of that service itself.
*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geisports Sokuho+) thread ‘Kazlaser’s ‘Complaint’ About the Shinkansen: “The window curtains are super thin. Isn’t it too bright when you want to sleep? Why does the Shinkansen never change?”‘
