Japanese Manners at an Escalator Manners and taboo vary depending on the countries. This time I would like to tell you about the unique manners in Japan. Did you know that Japanese people stand on the left or right when we take an escalator? Perhaps some other countries have this manner. This manner come from the care for people in a hurry. Interestingly, the position where we stand is different from one region to another in Japan. Most of the prefectures in Japan have the custom that people stand on the left, while people living in some prefectures such as Osaka and Kyoto stand on the right, when they take an escalator. Where did this difference come from? The answer is simple and the difference came up spontaneously. The first escalator showed up in Tokyo in 1914. The early escalator has no space for two people to get on at the same time. As it had been getting to be used in Japan, it turned to be wide. The custom people stand on the right started in Osaka in 1967. This came from the announce of station attendants in Osaka. However, it is natural for people to get on an escalator on the left since people go through on the left side when we drive and walk in Japan. So the right-side rule didn't spread in Japan. Although the right-side rule is a minor rule in Japan, some prefectures still have this rule.