I was just told I am not allowed to cross stitch on the shinkansen. My 5 year old and I are on our way to Tokyo to pick up my mother and I was getting some stitching in. Train staff and security approached me and told me it was dangerous. I showed them it was an embroidery needle and not sharp, but no dice.
The TSA specifically says this is okay on planes. I realize that means nothing for the shinkansen, but if there is something similar I’d love if someone could share it. The only thing I could find says sharp things like knives and saws. Any other embroiderers out there have experience with this?
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I would proceed to contact JR East to get an official stance. If approved, you can carry that response around with you next time staff stops you.
Whether it’s ok on an airplane is irrelevant. This dude said it wasn’t. If you believe he’s wrong contact JR.
[Hazardous Items Information for passengers (jr-central.co.jp)](https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/tickets/type/_pdf/kiken.pdf)
*just to clarify: I also don’t agree with what happened to OP and if he has the energy and time to follow an official answer from JR he should do so.
Did a quick google search in Japanese and seems plenty of people have done it, no rules that forbid it, (just saying best to refrain if you are sitting next to strangers) so probably just someone with a stick up their ass saw the need to get in other peoples business.
You are not allowed to bring embroidery (or knitting) needles on planes in Australia, so it doesn’t surprise me. Seems silly, but oh well.
People defending these security clowns need to get Tanaka’s dick out of their mouth.
No one is hijacking a train with a sewing needle, anyone who is going to start shit would have their ‘weapon’ concealed.
Should rules never be challenged? Especially when power hungry dick heads are throwing their weight around.
Anyone with a ball point pen can go stabbing, you can beat people over the head with a laptop, no one is stopping people working.
Pure security theatre.
I guess, check online. I bet its not on any list
They are just making shit up… as usual.
I brought a crochet hook (really fine lace one) through airport security once in Japan. The person looked at it a long time but ultimately let me through. Didn’t use it on the plane so not sure about that part. TSA has never said a peep about my crochet hooks tho
Wow, the comments are surely a bit toxic here. I guess none of us has the exact answer, so it would be best to ask JR East yourself. Japan has a strong tendency of ‘if they say no it’s a no, don’t ask’, but I believe it should never hurt to ask.
I did a bit of Googling in Japanese, and apparently [knitting is absolutely fine by JR East](https://編み物ブログ.com/2015/12/09/train-knitting/), and [you’re not the only one doing embroidery in Shinkansen](https://ameblo.jp/hime2837/entry-12731453384.html). But keep in mind that someone else doing it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s OK. I don’t do embroidery myself, and I mistakenly thought it was done with regular sharp needle. It’s possible that someone thought the same and reported it.
Confirm with JR and see what they say. If it’s an official rule, you’ll have to abide by it. If not, then you know the other person has no ground to stand on.
All of you with fears of knitting needles, have a word with yourself 😂
I’m pretty freaking amazed that some interpret questioning as a sign of arrogance. I’ve been told lots of things by lots of people inside and outside of Japan that “this is the rule” when in fact it isn’t. People are right to suggest a question/appeal to the CORRECT person at JR but doing everything in life just because someone says so is fairly infantile. To question is human. To obey if it is indeed a rule is divine.
Someone probably complained.
Goodness this is one of the worst comment sections I’ve seen on this subreddit. I’m sorry you’re getting so much hostility for asking a reasonable question. I’m hoping to take up embroidery one day and never would’ve thought about this so I’m glad you asked.
I think it’s probably fine but if something were to happen then that staff member would be blamed (because they’re supposed to check your car) so they saw a potential issue and told you to put it away just in case.
I used to ask for no bacon on top my salad at a restaurant I was a regular at and one day a new waitress very firmly told me that they couldn’t do that, I had to have bacon on it. The manager happened to be nearby and told her it’s fine but for her if she says it’s okay and it’s not she gets in trouble so it was easier for her to say no rather than go confirm with the manger or see if it’s possible.
So here are two places that you can find rules. One is a professional translation by JR and the other is a google translation but reading through it the focus seems to be on blades and sharp edges. Though I’ve never killed 3 people with a pencil I’m pretty sure that a mechanical pencil or a .27mm ballpoint pen would be far more dangerous than a knitting needle. Come to think of it maybe they should just outlaw all hashi or other utensils and insist people eat with their Karate hands.
[https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/tickets/type/_pdf/kiken.pdf](https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/tickets/type/_pdf/kiken.pdf)
[https://unavailable-jp.translate.goog/jr-cutlery-check/?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc](https://unavailable-jp.translate.goog/jr-cutlery-check/?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc)
Have any other embroiders out there had this experience?
Apparently, a lot. Doing a Google search for 電車内 編み物 will bring up a list of results of Japanese people describing your experience, and the unclear rules surrounding it.
Who are the weirdos in the negative karma saying cross-stitching is weird, it’s a great activity (but maybe only on the shinkansen, wouldn’t try it on some of the rockier trains).
Knitting also good if you have elbow room.
Quick. Are these hashi/chopsticks ok?
​
https://preview.redd.it/2lmwmo8d6h1a1.png?width=1588&format=png&auto=webp&s=1aadcdb15a4fdf1b27072f45d7f7bb8c11a1dfba
So weird. It is not a disturbance, no noise or whatever…
OP thanks for bringing out the biggest losers imaginable with your innocent question. Tagged them all in RES as [J-Life losers], this way I won’t waste any precious time on them.
It’s pathetic how many people are jumping on the OP making assumptions they are just trying to cause trouble… yet don’t bother to think about self-heating, flammable bentos and chopsticks being JUST fine for the Shinkansen. Let alone, the dangers of “the PEN.”
Think before you buy bullshit reasons and made up rules, “cuz Japan.”
I’ve seen ladies knitting on trains, so the fact embroidery would be more dangerous than knitting needles is odd.
The security on Shinkansen has become significantly more anal retentive than it used to be.
There was an arson attack a couple of years ago by some nutjob who attacked several passengers. Prior to that it was rare to see any security on a shinkansen at all, let alone have anyone confront you about something as ridiculous as sewing needles.
Now they have guards doing regular patrols on the cars, and checking for anything that looks even remotely dangerous. Its overkill in the extreme in this instance.
If you see images of people doing sewing, or handling other dangerous looking objects, on a shinkansen they were likely taken a few years ago before that incident.
100 yen says this was some Japanese Karen who complained about your ominous needle working. The staff can’t tell you they are acting on a complaint from the person sitting next to you, so they made up some bullshit policy that doesn’t exist hoping you’d just “follow the rules” the way everyone is expected to in Japanese society.
I have sewn socks, gloves, and backpacks on trains (with an [upholstery needle](https://www.heico-direct.co.uk/shop/upholstery-tools/7-inch-curved-round-point-upholstery-needle–heavy-gauge/), btw) with no complaints or random attempts to enforce nebulous safety concerns as recently as last month on the Shinkansen to Kumamoto.
Sounds like the security’s been watching too much Spy Family…
I’ve had it happen on planes – actual embroidery, with the sharp needle, and they got alarmed about the scissors (I was using applique scissors, the really stubby curved style). I knew I was within the rules because I had checked before hand, and also judged that if I got pushy, they were going to get shitty back, and it wasn’t worth the hassle of having to get my embroidery back from someone who got huffy about being told he was wrong, so back in the bag it went.
Never had anyone get concerned about my knitting needles, and I tend towards circulars with all steel parts, which I have thought about in the “WHAT IF A FIGHT BREAKS OUT” brain doldrum moments. (Chiagoo for life, Addi’s only wish they were this nice)
Are they wrong? Sure. Are they gonna make your life shitty if you argue? They sure might. Pick which fights you’re in the mood for, with the knowledge that it’ll be fine on the next train.
Hard to understand how someone would view this as more dangerous than say an umbrella.
I’ve embroidered on the Shinkansen before with no problems!
Good thing no one has and sharp, pointy sticks in that bento they’re carrying. That’d be dangerous. Too right, it would.
That would make a mythic achievement on a criminal record!
How dare you do something that other people don’t do? Get in line.
No seriously that’s what the staff were thinking. They don’t have any valid reason to stop you.
Ever consider they were just stupid? To me, embroidery is the same thing as sewing — that needle is there in both cases and I don’t want it to go flying in my eye.
The wooden chopsticks from the ekiben are more dangerous because you can get splinters from them.
Maybe you should poke them with it next time and say ほらね (see!), to prove it’s not dangerous