Although eating on the subway isn’t exactly easy, hungry visitors should abstain from snacking on Japanese metros. In Japan, a nation famous for its order and cleanliness, the seats in metro cars are often arranged like benches, facing toward the middle, so you’re shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow riders.
If it’s crowded, you may have to stand, holding onto rails for support. These positions don’t lend themselves to eating, and chomping down a sandwich or granola bar risks covering your outfit or your neighbor in crumbs. Many of us would also consider this environment unsanitary, with the circular flow of passengers, the easy spread of germs, and the lack of onboard bathrooms to wash hands. In short, passenger should wait until they return to street level to address rumbling stomachs.
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