With so many people using Tokyo’s trains and metro lines during rush hour, station staff sometimes need to help every passenger board the train. These workers are called oshiya or “pushers.” As the name suggests, oshiya are there to push passengers from the platform into the train so that the train can depart on time.
Oshiya are seen only during rush hour and at a few large stations in the city. They were first introduced at Shinjuku Station as passenger arrangement staff. They can be spotted on the platform wearing white gloves and station uniforms. These workers are responsible for pushing as many passengers into the train as possible. Sometimes the number of passengers on board can be over 200% of what the train car was designed to carry.
