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Shinkansen launches new service: Would you be willing to increase the price for private space?
When taking public transportation, many people have encountered awkward situations where passengers next to them unintentionally occupy your space, emit unpleasant odors, or even make loud phone calls, making the journey uncomfortable.
In order to improve passenger experience, Japan’s JR Tokai railway company has recently launched a new service that allows passengers to enjoy a more comfortable and private riding environment by paying additional fees. This service has attracted a lot of attention, and the following is the reaction of Japanese netizens to this matter.
The launch of the new service ‘S Work P Seat’
Recently, a Japanese netizen discovered a novel sight while riding on the Shinkansen: the middle seat of the triple seat was separated by a partition, becoming a double seat that only passengers on both sides can use. The netizen took a photo of this interesting discovery and uploaded it to social media, which immediately sparked a heated discussion among netizens.
In fact, this is a new service called “S Work P Seat” launched by the Japanese railway company “JR Tokai”. The ‘S work P seat’ is a part of the ‘S work’ carriage. S work “is a carriage designed specifically for business people, equipped with high-speed wireless network and convenient hardware facilities, making it easy for passengers to handle work while on the move.
The ‘S work P seat’ has been modified to accommodate three seaters, allocating the space in the middle seat to passengers on both sides. Not only has a partition been added, but it also provides more spacious usage space, allowing passengers to no longer worry about the interference of strangers around them. This service was first proposed in April 2023 and gradually opened for ticket purchase.
Enjoying Private Space: Is the Extra Cost Worth It?
According to JR Tokai’s plan, passengers who wish to enjoy the additional space and privacy of the “S work P seat” will need to pay an additional fee of 1200 yen. Many Japanese netizens are very satisfied with this pricing, believing that adding more space and comfort is a very cost-effective choice.
Many netizens highly appreciate this new service. A netizen commented, “You can enjoy 1.5 seats for just 1200 yen, it’s really a great deal
Another netizen excitedly said, “This service is really good, you no longer have to worry about people crowding around
Some people even suggested, “The entire carriage should be changed to seats like this, with a little extra money for more comfort. It’s really worth it
The social trend of paying for privacy
With the increasing demand for privacy and personal space in modern society, services like ‘S work P seat’ are likely to become more popular in the future.
Especially on public transportation, the comfort level during the journey directly affects the travel experience of passengers. As one netizen said, “I am willing to pay extra fees to avoid unnecessary contact with strangers next to me
Moreover, passengers with higher body weight also expressed that this seating arrangement can make their journey more comfortable.
In addition, this new service has also been welcomed by many business people. In the fast-paced modern life, being able to work with peace of mind and maintain focus while traveling is particularly important for improving work efficiency. The ‘S work P seat’ provides a quiet and spacious environment that meets the needs of those who need to complete tasks on the Shinkansen.
The launch of ‘S work P seat’ demonstrates JR Tokai’s precise grasp of passenger demand. By increasing the privacy and comfort of seats, this service provides more choices for passengers who are willing to pay for personal space. This not only reflects people’s increasing emphasis on privacy and comfort, but also indicates that public transportation services may develop towards a more personalized and high-end direction in the future.
For countries like Japan with highly developed transportation, taking the Shinkansen is a part of many people’s daily lives. In this context, how to make passengers’ journeys more comfortable and efficient is clearly the direction that railway companies are striving for. With the increasing demand for private space in society, perhaps in the near future, more similar services will appear on public transportation around the world.