Snake Found Under Seat on Tokyo’s JR Yamanote Line; No Injuries Result From What Appears to be Rat Snake

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:28 JST, May 13, 2024

A 20-centimeter-long snake was discovered on the JR Yamanote Line in Tokyo on Sunday afternoon, about two hours after a passenger alerted staff to its presence.

No one was injured in the incident, but the transportation of about 2,700 people was affected.

According to East Japan Railway Co. (JR East), the passenger told station personnel at Shibuya Station in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, that they had seen a “snake-like creature” in car 8 of an 11-car train at around 5 p.m.on Sunday.

Staff searched the car at Komagome Station, after evacuating passengers to other parts of the train, but nothing was found. The train resumed operations after 15 minutes, with passengers kept out of car 8.

Everyone disembarked at Osaki Station, and the train was taken to a maintenance center in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, for inspection.

At around 7 p.m. on the day, an employee at the center found the snake under a seat, captured it and reported it to the police. Police said the animal is believed to be a young Japanese rat snake.