Taipei Metro Adds Japanese Announcements at Select Stations|13處熱門觀光站 北捷增日語廣播

Around a massive 1.55 million Japanese tourists visited Greater Taipei last year. Taipei Metro has therefore added Japanese announcements for 13 popular tourism stations. Some Japanese tourists say it is an added convenience but others say the volume is too low and they have trouble hearing it.


The station name is broadcast in Japanese as the train approaches Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station. The addition of Japanese announcements has been received well by Japanese tourists.

(Other language) is very difficult for us. (Japanese announcements are) very useful for us.

The Japanese announcements are limited to station names and are only broadcast for 13 stations on the Tamsui-Xinyi Line, including Shilin, Dongmen and Taipei 101/World Trade Center. Passengers have to be listening for them to hear them and many tourists say the volume is so low they didn't hear the announcements at all. Station names are first announced in Mandarin Chinese, English, Taiwanese, Hakka and then finally Japanese. Some tourists say five languages are too many.

(The Hong Kong MRT only makes announcements) in Cantonese, Mandarin and English. Three (languages) are acceptable.

(No other country) makes announcements in dialects. In this aspect, Taiwan is special.

The Kaohsiung MRT added Japanese station name announcements at major transfer stations some time ago.

They need these announcements for when they have to transfer or board a shuttle to get to their designated tourism destination.

Japanese tourists accounted for 1.55 million, or 47 percent, of the 3.47 million Asian tourists visiting Greater Taipei last year. Taipei Metro says it will add Japanese announcements for more stations to make Taipei more convenient for tourists.