Many things in Japan are high-tech far beyond other countries…such as toilets and bathtubs, vending machines, etc.
And the “accessibility” for the handicapped in Japan has become quite good…for example, braille is on many things here including money, alcohol and shampoo (Click here to read a post I wrote about that.)
But there was one thing that I also should be changed…the lack of safety barriers on train and subway platforms.
Thankfully there aren’t very many cases…but on occasion, drunk, blind or careless people have fallen off of the platforms.
And, unfortunately, suicidal people have jumped from them onto the path of oncoming trains.
But, of course, I’m not the only who noticed this problem and more and more train stations are installing safety barriers to keep people from falling (or jumping) from the platforms.
Eventually all of the train stations in Japan will have them!
And, of course, train station platform safety barriers in Japan are high-tech.
Check out this video:
(hat tip: RocketNews24)
Tokyo Five 
I was watching the Korean version of Playful Kiss recently and noticed the safety doors at the train stations there. I think they are brilliant and should have been thought up sooner. The gates in the video are great too, but the ones in the drama are even better as they cover floor to ceiling. I pointed them out to my sister and said “Japan should have these! Every station in the world should have these!”
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>Playful Kiss
What’s that? A Korean TV show?
>Japan should have these!
I think the ones that Japan has are fine…they just need to be on every station platform in the country.
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Yes, it’s based on a manga. There was a Japanese version in the 90’s and I think there’s a new movie version too.
I agree and they are definitely better than nothing. I just think that floor to ceiling is better as far as suicide prevention is concerned.
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But those would be difficult, if not impossible, to install on train station (as opposed to “subway station”) platforms.
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Also, what I meant was just that I hadn’t heard of any gates at Japanese stations at the time.
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I see.
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I haven’t seen the lifting up ones yet either. Cool.
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I have seen them…but they’re not common.
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I was in Japan in 2012, and I didn’t see such barriers then. I always wondered how many accidents happened w/o those separations. Now, I don’t need to wonder any more!
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Even before 2012, there were already some train stations that have platform barriers.
They’re expensive so it’s taking awhile…but eventually every station will have them.
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Wow, I’ve never seen any of those types of gates that lift up! It does look a lot safer than just a bare platform, especially for when express trains fly past.
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The type that open to the side are more common.
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