Japan's bullet trains are engineering marvels, but booking one online is a nightmare
Japan's trains are great. Why is booking one so hard?
A software engineer visiting Japan finds the country's train booking systems as baffling as its trains are brilliant. The JR network is split across six regional companies with separate platforms, overlapping coverage, and rules that force travelers to pick the right operator themselves. One booking even demanded a physical credit card at pickup, costing a ¥560 cancellation fee when a virtual card wouldn't do. The culprit, he argues, is Conway's Law leaking into the user experience.
While I was asking for a ticket to go from A to B, the system was asking me which railway company operated that route. A clear example of organizational structure leaking into the user experience.