Noise irks Japan's commuters

TOKYO: Taking the train in Japan and want to avoid annoying fellow passengers? Keep conversation to a whisper, turn down your iPod and put your cell phone on vibration mode, a recent survey by the railway association showed.

Many foreigners who ride on Japan's vast network of subways and commuter trains complain about the pushing and shoving that accompanies getting into the train and the reluctance to give up seats for senior citizens and pregnant women.

But for Japanese commuters, noise is the biggest issue, with loud conversation and music from headphones the top two offenders and cell-phone ringtones in fourth place, the survey by the Association of Japanese Private Railways showed.