The unit’s mission is simple: to patrol the length of the train and make sure that any seats - highly prized on Japan’s packed commuter lines - are vacated by the young and offered to those who need them. The officers will have no legal authority, no powers to fine and virtually no practical sanction at all. Their success will depend entirely on the high visibility of their bright green uniforms, and their capacity to charm or shame the sitter into becoming a stander.

Der internationale Vergleich dazu könnte überraschende Ergebnisse bringen.