The kindness of strangers lives on Japanese trains at the start of 2017

Living up to the very definition of “gentle men”.

While many of us continue to walk on eggshells while trying to get a feel for which direction the new year will go, a fantastic feel good story (and not a story about grabbing a good feel) has come from one person’s commute on a Japanese train line. The story is a great first step for what we hope will be an all-around more positive year.

▼ In a series of unfortunate events, this train was snowed in the face at the end of 2016.

Flickr/iyoupapa

The story begins as many do in Japan, with someone on their way to work. As @ameni1952 was riding the train to their destination, a deepening sense of sleepiness overcame the Twitter user. About to fall asleep, @ameni1952 couldn’t think of anything else to do but ask the gentleman sitting beside him to wake him up when the train had arrived at Kikuna Station in the city of Yokohama.

▼ Kikuna

Flickr/shinj_w

Nodding off to sleep, @ameni1952 was soon awoken by a completely different person who had sat down beside him as the train pulled into Kikuna. The first good samaritan must have gotten off at an earlier stop and tasked a new person with the sacred duty of waking the dozing passenger.

営業やってた頃どうにも眠くて、電車で隣に座る知らんオッサンに「本当に申し訳ないのですが菊名に着いたら起こしてほしい」とお願いして即座に爆睡し、するといつの間にか全然違う人が隣に座っていて、菊名で起こしてくれたことがあった。完璧に引き継ぎをしてくれたオッサンに今もお礼は言えていない

—
海坂侑 ／ 眞駒 (@ameni1952) January 04, 2017

Even though the first gentleman had given no confirmation about accepting the duty of waking this individual up, he performed his given role in an admirable fashion. The only regret of @ameni1952 was that he wasn’t able to express his gratitude to the person he originally asked. After reading this story, several other Japanese Twitter users shared their similar memories of kindness offered by older business men while riding the train. It just goes to show that even the smallest of gestures can get the biggest reaction, and if we all do our part in the coming year with small acts of kindness, 2017 will be a year worth remembering.  

Source: Twitter/@ameni1952
Top image: Flickr/Junepei Abe

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