In the previous discussion, we have mentioned about the priority seats in the train.

Several priority seats (優先席ゆうせんせき) are usually set at both ends of the carriage. On the trains in Japan, there are many cases in which people do not offer their seats. This is not because they are impolite, but because people may be upset after you offered them your seat. For example, especially to offer seats to the elderly, most of the Japanese do not want others to think they are old, so if you offer them a seat, it may hurt their self-esteem. Therefore, unless people obviously look very old and have some difficulties, everyone is embarrassed to offer their seats. So, the priority seats on the train play a big role. Young people do not sit on the priority seats most of the time, except when the trains are too crowded or not crowded. The priority seat will be vacated, and the elderly will walk to the priority seats and sit down if they need it. This will not cause any misunderstanding.

The second picture is a sign forbidding the use of mobile phones in the carriage. In principle, in Japan, you can't talk on mobile phones on the train. You can send text messages, etc. Voice calls can only be used for a short time when it is urgent. One of the reasons is that talking on the phone will affect other passengers. Secondly, there may be some patients among passengers. They may be carrying medical devices with communication functions. Some patients with heart disease, have micro-transmitter in their bodies so that the hospital can know immediately when they have a heart attack. This transmitter could be interfered by the mobile phone signal, so you are advised to turn off your phone near the priority seats. In the first picture, there is “優先席付近（ふきん）では携帯電話（けいたいでんわ）の電源（でんげん）をお切（き）りください” written below the priority seat. “携帯電話” means “mobile phone”; “切る” means “cut, cut off”; “お切りください” is its honorific form. It means “please turn off your mobile phone near priority seats”. This civilized behavior in public is called “マナー(manners)” in Japanese; Silent mode of the mobile phone is called “マナーモード (manner-mode)” in Japanese. In the second picture, there is “マナーモードを設定（せってい）の上、通話（つうわ）はご遠慮（えんりょ）ください” written on the left. “ご遠慮ください” means “to avoid”. This sentence means “Put the phone on silent mode, and please avoid phone calls”.