Photo shows screenshots from a video posted online by a couple from Hong Kong showing them inside the driver's cab of a Kintetsu limited express train in Japan on June 27, 2026. Photo: Mirror Media

A couple from the Hong Kong region has sparked controversy after they reportedly filmed themselves and even touched equipment inside a train cab during a trip to Japan, prompting Hong Kong media to criticize their "inconsiderate behavior."  

The couple, who were traveling with their child, had originally planned to take a train to Nara but boarded the wrong train, Hong Kong media reported. After railway staff arranged for them to transfer and allowed them to temporarily wait inside an inactive driver's cab before getting off, the couple allegedly treated the area as a photo spot, filmed videos and touched equipment in the cab.

Hong Kong's Mirror Media reported on Tuesday that the couple's behavior sparked heated discussion and criticism after the footage was uploaded on social media on Saturday. The report, citing Japan's J-CAST News, said a train conductor was heard anxiously shouting in English, "NO PHOTO! NO PHOTO!" and quickly arranged for the family to leave the train.

Mirror Media cited the train operator Kintetsu as saying that the passengers' actions did not affect train operations, but the company still described the behavior as dangerous.

Mirror Media said the incident drew sharp criticism from both Hong Kong and Japanese internet users, with many accusing the couple of doing "confusing behavior."

One Hong Kong media outlet reported on Sunday that the couple appeared to have uploaded the video originally to express gratitude for the service attitude of Japanese railway staff, but the post instead triggered strong backlash from Hong Kong netizens, who criticized the staged filming as inappropriate.

The original post has reportedly been deleted, but clips and screenshots continued to circulate online.

Some netizens also expressed concern that the conductor might face disciplinary action after the footage spread on Japanese social media, according to the Hong Kong media. One online comment cited by the media said the video had already been reposted on the X platform in Japan and viewed by large numbers of people, while many Hong Kong residents in Japan worried that the "kind-hearted conductor" could be punished for making special arrangements for the family. 

According to J-CAST News, the incident has raised controversy in Japan. The report said the instruments touched by the couple did not affect train operations, but added that it still regarded the conduct as dangerous.

The Japanese government body which oversees Kintetsu, told J-CAST News on Monday that, as a general matter, railway operators have their own standards for allowing passengers to get off at stations where trains do not normally stop, neither for passengers entering the driver's cab.

"It does not constitute a violation of laws or regulations," the division was quoted as saying, However, crew compartments contain various operating switches, so we do not consider it very desirable," according to J-CAST News.

Global Times