Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Pay Phones on Bullet Trains


In 1965, the Tokaido Line shinkansen (bullet) trains were the first to have coin operated public phones. This was just one year after the shinkansen trains started carrying passengers. Soon the shinkansen trains on all lines had this amenity.  Like other pay phones in Japan, this is coming to an end.  Beginning June 7th, Japan Railways will be removing pay phones from individual trains and expect to have all pay phones removed by June 30th. Ha! I didn't even know the shinkansen trains had pay phones! Pay phones will still be available at Shinkansen stations. Are there pay phones on trains or in train stations where you live?





4 comments:

Anonymous said...

no clue! Trains and train stations are one of the things I miss most about Japan, Europe too. However, pay phones are an anachronism around here--I can't think of where I saw one last.

Len
south of Seattle

Jeanie said...

I'm not sure we even have pay phones here anymore. I loved the bullet train!

Vireya said...

I've never seen a pay phone ON a train! That's amazing.

I think there are still payphones near most stations here. I haven't looked for one for a long time though, so I could be wrong.

Leonore Winterer said...

I can' remember ever seeing a payphone on a train. At the station, yes, but not the train itself!