O Mamori

The busses and trains in Japan often have these protective charms installed to provide the passengers with that little bit of extra protection. Yes, that metal sleeve is actually intended for this purpose. Copyright ©2006 Toku Chan

When I ride the busses and trains around here, I am often amused by the differences between the way things are done here, and the way they are done at home.

When you ride a bus in Amercia, you need "exact change," which you must pay up front, or you can't get on. One of the big problems with this is knowing how much to pay. This usually involves talking with the bus driver and discovering how much "exact change" you might need. Cumbersome! I say.

The Japanese found a simple and – dare I suggest – elegant solution to the problem. Pay when you get off. Japanese busses have two doors. You always get on through the back door, where you either log in your bus card or K card; or take the little zone ticket if it is offered. Sit down and enjoy the ride. At the front of the bus is a display with lots of numbers. If you don't have a ticket, then the amount shown in box 1 is how much you must eventually pay. Otherwise, your ticket's number's box reflects the amount.

Oh, and don't worry about exact change, all busses in Japan are equipped with efficient change machines at the front. These are the same machines that you either drop money into or swipe your card through when it's time to get off.

People can get onto and off of busses in Japan very easily and quickly. They even went so far as to design protective charms right into the bus itself. See the photo for details.