Shame On UI

A Tale of User Interface Failures

Missed Connection

May 01, 2026

Japan has a history of having interesting interfaces that significantly diverge from western countries, but while many differences can be plausibly attributed to differences in script and culture, it's fascinating to me that they still seem to have a knack for throwing common affordances out the window and saying, "fuck it, we're doing it our way".

Case in point, the sign-up form for Japan's Smart EX Shinkansen ticketing system.

You'd think usability and accessibility would be more important for a public transport service site...

Japan, living in the year 2000 since 1985.