What does the Japanese Railway have to do with our habits?

Can the Japanese railway system help us change our bad habits and develop good ones? If you get on a train in Japan, you may see a conductor making unique hand and arm movements and calling around loudly, as you can see in the photo below. If you are unaware of this situation, you may even question whether these people are crazy. However, this method is called "shisa kanko" and has been used for more than a hundred years. The term "pointing and calling" is used in English.


This method is actually based on a very simple technique. Every detail required for the execution and controls of the work is defined. The relevant officer announces each control/process by pointing and calling loudly. So what is the purpose of these actions? To understand this, we need to understand our habits.


First, let's briefly define habit. Habit; It is a behavior that has been repeated so much that it becomes automatic. Therefore, the more automatic a movement/habit becomes, the more difficult it becomes to think about it consciously. You get so used to doing what you've always done that you can't even question whether you're doing it right. Self-awareness disappears. This is exactly the first condition for getting rid of an unwanted habit; It is awareness. So why is awareness necessary for Japanese officials?

The aim of the system is to reduce errors and prevent work accidents by increasing awareness. It must be said that they were successful in this regard. Because, according to research on this subject; Approximately 85% of errors and 30% of accidents can be prevented.

Thank you for reading.