A Nankai Electric Railway conductor has been reprimanded for making a discriminatory announcement, apologizing for the many foreign passengers on his train.
According to the railway company, the conductor made the announcement in Japanese at around 11:30 a.m. Monday, soon after his Nankai Line express train left Tengachaya Station in the city of Osaka, bound for Kansai International Airport Station.
The conductor later explained during a company hearing that he made the apology to avoid causing trouble with passengers, as he heard a Japanese rider say in a loud voice, "There are too many foreigners and they are annoying."
The conductor said it was the first time he had made such an announcement and that he did not mean to offend foreign travelers.
The announcement was reported to the railway company when a female Japanese passenger later asked a station official about it.