Japan Top 10

I did not believe my eyes when I saw it on the TV news, but I suddenly realized there is a reason to stop at railway crossings.

The news were from Aomori, the northernmost part of Honshu, the long island where Tokyo is located. Aomori is beautiful and interesting, and an amazing skiing destination. In particular this year.

They news report was about the record snowfall. Aomori got half a meter of snow – 50 cm. Overnight.

The thing is, this being Japan, the trains are still running. When they have plowed up the roads, you realize that the rule of the road that cars have to stop, look, and listen makes sense.

Because the barriers get stuck in the snow, and the signals are invisible behind several meter high snowdrifts. You can not see from those if a train is coming. The only way is to follow the rule of the road: Stop, roll down the window and listen for a train, and look in both directions before going.

Granted, it does not happen and not everywhere in Japan. But it is interesting to see a rule you thought of as silly suddenly make sense.