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This Tokyo Bullet Train Clean-Up Crew Kicks Ass

An army of cleaners prepare a bullet train for riding in Tokyo.

Doug Patterson
By Doug PattersonJun 23, 2015
Doug Patterson
Doug is a writer and producer from Ohio. After taking films to Sundance and SXSW as an associate producer, he helped develop and produce Amazon's "Transparent." He joined GOOD in 2015 to write and produce content.
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Three hundred and twenty-three Shinkansen bullet trains depart from Tokyo every day. The trains are prepared for riding by the TESSEI cleaning crew – an army of cleaners with an average age of 52. The crew has only seven minutes to prepare each train. This video, made by journalist Charli James, documents the process, which ends with each crew member lining up and bowing as a demonstration of pride and diligence, only minutes before the next train pulls in. Basically, these people are awesome.

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