Never talk on your phone while on the train, unless using the designated phone area of the shinkansen. Silence and use headphones so that your media cannot be heard by others. Finally, turn your phone off if sitting near the priority seating area.

In Japan, talking on a mobile phone while on a train is considered a significant breach of social etiquette and is strongly discouraged. Japanese culture prioritizes "Meiwaku," the principle of not causing trouble or annoyance to others in public spaces. Most trains feature prominent signs and frequent announcements (often in multiple languages) asking passengers to switch their phones to "Manner Mode" (silent) and to refrain from making or receiving calls. If you must take an urgent call, the standard procedure on long-distance trains like the Shinkansen is to move to the "vestibule" area between the carriages to avoid disturbing fellow passengers. On local commuter trains, it is common to see people ignore their ringing phones entirely or quickly whisper that they will call back later. While there are no legal fines for talking on the phone, doing so will often result in disapproving stares or a polite but firm request from a conductor or fellow passenger to end the conversation to maintain the quiet, orderly environment that users expect.