alt Hacker NewsI've heard people say that, but I find it hard to believe. I think I'd go nuts. And sure, they don't take 10 minutes to pass, but the busy lines (like the Seibu line I mentioned) are running at least 2-3 trains every 10 minutes, so they might as well be continuous.
The houses built next to the crossing points, in particular, have always boggled my mind. BING BING BING BING BING....
I noticed when I visited Japan that the crossing chimes quieten once the barriers have fully lowered.
Just another example of Japanese attention to detail and human oriented design.