Escalator Day

What Is Escalator Day?

Every March 8th is "Escalator Day" (エスカレーターの日, Esukarētā no Hi) in Japan. On March 8, 1914, Japan's first escalator, installed at the site of the Tokyo Taisho Exhibition (東京大正博覧会) in Ueno, Tokyo, underwent a trial run — an industrial exhibition held to showcase technological achievements early in the reign of Emperor Taisho. The escalator — a moving staircase powered by electricity — was an extraordinary novelty to Japanese visitors who had never seen anything like the self-moving steps that carried passengers between floors without any effort on their part.

Japan's First Escalator

The 1914 Ueno escalator connected the exhibition's first site on Ueno hill with the second site by Shinobazu Pond, near the steps that lead up to today's Ueno Toshogu Shrine. It moved at about one shaku (roughly 30 centimeters) per second. On March 29 of the same year, a 74-year-old woman was shaken off and a two-year-old girl caught her foot in a step — considered Japan's first escalator accidents. Later in 1914, a permanent escalator was installed in the new building of the Mitsukoshi store in Nihonbashi, becoming a department-store attraction.

Escalators in Modern Japan

Japan has become one of the world's most escalator-intensive societies — reflecting its dense urban environments, multi-story retail buildings, deep underground subway stations, and the premium placed on efficient passenger flow in busy transportation hubs. Japanese escalators — manufactured primarily by domestic companies including Mitsubishi Electric, Hitachi, and Fujitec — are known for their reliability and safety record. Japan's escalator manufacturers are major exporters of moving staircase technology worldwide.

Escalator Etiquette: The Tokyo/Osaka Divide

Japan is internationally known for its escalator etiquette — the custom of standing on one side and leaving the other side clear for people who wish to walk. Remarkably, which side people stand on is different in Tokyo (stand on the left, walk on the right) and in Osaka (stand on the right, walk on the left) — a regional difference that confuses travelers between the two cities and has been the subject of serious sociological and historical investigation.

Fun Facts

• Standing only campaigns: Railway companies and the Japan Elevator Association have run campaigns asking escalator users to stand still rather than walk, mainly for safety. The campaigns have met with mixed compliance, reflecting how hard it is to change established habits.
• The inventor: In 1892, American Jesse W. Reno patented an "Endless Conveyor or Elevator," one of the inventions that led to the modern escalator. The word "escalator" itself was originally a trademark of the Otis Elevator Company.
• Longest and shortest: The "Magic Straw" at New Reoma World in Marugame, Kagawa, is said to be Japan's longest escalator, with a rise of 42 meters over 96 meters. At the other extreme, a down escalator in Kawasaki connecting the Azalea underground mall with the Kawasaki More's building has a rise of only 83.4 centimeters and five steps, and appeared in the 1991 Guinness Book.