The Japanese train system has always been very good. Anyone who lives here knows that Japan’s copious number of trains run on time (without quite so much fascism), so much so that you can practically set your watch by them. Even more, they stop on a dime, so you know exactly where the doors will be when the trains come.

There have been other changes as well, from the welcome (less smoking–for example, JR East’s bullet trains went completely no-smoking just today) to the annoying (as an “anti-terrorism” measure, trash cans–what few there were–were removed from the platforms on many lines). But one change that seems to be taking shape is better information for riders. This from the Yamanote Line, Tokyo’s main loop line:

Above these passengers’ heads, you can see a pair of LCD screens. The one on the left is for ads (and the occasional English mini-lesson from Berlitz), but the one on the right displays train information, and it does a good job. Here are some sample screens:

In addition to what stop you’re coming to, all stations are displayed along with how long it’ll take for you to get there. That’s a nice feature.

This one tells you what lines you can transfer to from the upcoming stop…

But here’s a nicer feature: a display of information about where the stairs, escalators, and elevators are located relative to the cars of the train, along with the transfer info. Note the number of your car is displayed at upper right. It even mentions which exits are best for certain transfers.

There’s also a more detailed display of what’s coming up…

And info on the status of other lines, should there be trouble.

What should be next is free WiFi on all lines (like they have on the Tsukuba Line now, though I don’t think it’s free), especially with a connection to the train line’s central data center so you can see the status of any and all train lines and get info on how to best get from point A to point B. This feature would bee especially useful as more and more handheld devices are getting WiFi. And if they can afford to install something like 16 LCD screens per car like they did here, why is free WiFi so out of the question?