Delay certificate issued by Tobu Railway Company
If you are a student, and if you get yelled at for being late to class, what should you do? If you are an employee, and if you get told off for being late, what do you do next?
In Japan, the best way to get out of a quagmire is to obtain a “delay certificate” on the internet and submit it to your teacher or boss, if it was caused by a delay of the commuter train.
Look at the copy at the top. This is an example of delay certificate issued by Tobu, which is one of the major private railway companies in the Tokyo metropolitan area. This certificate shows that trains on the Tobu-Isesaki Line were delayed for a maximum of 20 minutes between the first train and 10 o’clock in the morning on Tuesday, April 12, 2011. Even if it was delayed a maximum of 20 minutes, Tobu issues a delay certificate.
You can see another example at the bottom. This is also a delay certificate, issued by Odakyu Railway Company, which operates in the southwestern part of Tokyo and the central part of Kanagawa Prefecture. The certificate indicates that all westbound trains on the Odakyu Line were delayed for maximum of 10 minutes between the first train and 10 o’clock in the morning on Friday, April 15, 2011. Again… only a 10 minute delay tops. What a punctual railway company it is!
A delay certificate is an ultimate level of service to passengers in Japan.
Delay certificate issued by Odakyu Railway Company
More information about Odakyu: http://www.odakyu.jp/english/
（注） 遅延証明書のご紹介に際しては、その転載を禁止していない鉄道会社様の証明書を、ここに実例として使用させていただきました。