In Tokyo and most of Kanto, stand on the left side of the escalator step and leave the right side clear for people who want to walk up or down. In Osaka and Kansai, it’s reversed, stand right, walk left.
Watch what locals around you are doing for a few seconds before committing if you’re unsure which region’s convention applies, it’s a fast way to confirm rather than assuming.
- This is a strong social norm, not a written law — nobody will fine you, but standing on the wrong side in a busy station gets you bumped or pointedly stepped around.
- Officially, Japan Railways and safety campaigns actually discourage walking on escalators at all — the two-lane convention persists anyway as the practical, on-the-ground norm.