Significant differences between escalator in Japan and Europe are that the speed and the place you stand.
You might be frustrated to the speed, because Japanese escalator is set mostly to 1.8 km/h but in Europe is 2.5 km/h. However, this Japanese speed is not a speed limit provided by the authority. Therefore, it can be set faster to European speed too.
Probably due to the speed, most Japanese except seniors or have health problems will walk on the escalator especially it is moving downward, even the person is not rushing to catch the train.
The place you stand when riding an escalator is different among regions in Japan. For example, in Tokyo metropolitan area, you have to stand on the left side of the step when you are not in hurry. Which means other persons will pass by your right side when they are in hurry. On the other hand, in Kansai region, especially in Osaka, you have to stand on the right side of the step as same as in Europe. Therefore people will pass by your left side. However, people in Fukuoka, Kyushu stand on the left side as same as in Tokyo, which means most of Japanese stand on the left side except in Osaka.
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