A Japan Times staffer, accustomed to the sacred silence of Japan's shinkansen after years there, returns to the US and navigates small talk on Amtrak. Dropped off at Tukwila Station from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, he finds an empty platform and passes time in jet-lagged exploration. The account highlights cultural differences in train travel etiquette.
According to the Japan Times article, the staffer arrived at Amtrak's Tukwila Station via Uber from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The park-and-ride lot held a vast expanse of dormant cars, with only a security guard pacing the empty platform and a woman using a leaf blower against the wind—blowing at 10 mph from the north, as noted from the flight captain.
Twenty minutes early for the Amtrak Cascades train to Portland, Oregon, the jet-lagged writer scouted the surroundings, walking the platform and adjacent sidewalk, as there was little else within walking distance. This solitary wait underscores the contrast with years immersed in the shinkansen's revered silence in Japan. On Amtrak, however, small talk flows freely, marking what the piece calls 'the lost art of small talk' in a humorous reflection on readjusting stateside.
Published on January 19, 2026, the keywords include rail, bullet trains, shinkansen, and expats. This personal essay offers insights into cultural gaps in rail travel from an expat's viewpoint.