Cities and transportJapan
Train late in Japan? The railway gives you a certificate
In Japan, a delay of about 5 minutes earns an official certificate, the chien shōmeisho, to show at work or school. Here's how it works.
Cities and transport
How cities are organized and how to get around them.
Articles on this topic
Cities and transportUnited Kingdom
Why you stand on the right on London escalators
On the London Underground you stand on the right and walk on the left. Where the rule came from, the trial that tested it and what other cities do.
Cities and transportJapan
Tokyo’s train pushers: what’s left of the oshiya
White-gloved staff shoving commuters onto trains belong to another era. How crowded Tokyo’s trains really are now, and how to avoid the crush.
Cities and transportCosta Rica
Why Costa Rica gives addresses by landmark
In Costa Rica, an address starts at a church, a pharmacy or a tree that may not exist anymore. How the system works and how to find your way around it.
Cities and transportJapan
Why most streets in Japan have no name
Japanese addresses point to a block, not a street. How the system works, and how to find a place in Tokyo without getting lost.
