What was the most egregious act you witnessed on a train? Manspreading? The expulsion of bodily fluids? Or worse yet, sexual assault? All three take place on trains with disturbing regularity, but instead of addressing any of those issues, a Japanese railway company has decided to rally a vigorous campaign against commuter makeup application.
Tokyu Corporation, a private train company, released an ad admonishing women who apply makeup while in transit, reports the Washington Post. In the 30-second commercial, two women seated on a train are seen painting their faces with lipstick and mascara. A third woman, actress Sawa Nimura looks on in disgust, saying, “Women in the big city are all beautiful. But they can be ugly sometimes.”
Nimura then leaps from her seat and forces the two makeup offenders to watch her robotically sing and dance to lyrics that include: “Why can’t you do it before you get on the train?” and “Your eyebrows restored and eyelashes multiplied, your transformation is witnessed.”
The commercial spot concludes with a final message: “Please do not put on makeup on the train.” One can only hope this grave national nightmare will resolve itself soon enough.
