By: Alex
On trains or airplanes, passengers sitting next to you may intentionally or unintentionally encroach on your personal space. Some people immediately speak up to warn them, but in Japan, there's a gentler — yet seemingly quite effective — method you can try.
Recently, cosplayer Satomi Ishihara posted a tweet about a flight where the young man in the seat next to her kept getting closer, severely invading her personal space and making her uncomfortable. She remembered seeing a tweet that said: “On the train, there was a man spreading his legs, but when I opened an English newspaper, he closed them.” So she opened an English article on her laptop and pretended to read — and the guy gradually moved away.
In fact, this theory has long circulated online: reading English on public transportation creates an invisible barrier between you and other Japanese passengers. Many netizens have shared their own experiences, such as: “If you can read while taking (English) notes, the effect doubles!” However, some have almost been caught out: “I tried this trick too, but then a tourist came over to ask me for directions. My English isn’t that great.”
▲ (Photo by Pakutaso)
This phenomenon is believed to be related to Japanese people’s fear of interacting with foreigners. There’s a common stereotype among Japanese that foreigners might strike up a conversation with anyone at any time. To avoid being pulled into a chat — especially in a language they’re not familiar with — people often leave seats next to foreigners empty on public transport. The Japanese call this the “empty seat” effect.
Source: SoraNews 24