Many foreign visitors to Japan are astounded by the constant stream of announcements at Japanese railway stations. And there is no let up once people have boarded the train. On the platform, the announcements mention the imminent arrival and destinations of trains. As people are boarding, there are announcements urging them to mind the closing doors. And inside the train, there are announcements mentioning the forthcoming station, and the side on which the doors will open. The railway operators feel they are serving passengers through all of these announcements. The announcements might be one of the reasons why Japan seems to cope with its hectic and crowded rush hours.