Although ticket machines in Japanese stations have an English menu, it can still be confusing with all the buttons and different train lines. Sometimes you just wish a helpful guide will magically appear and show you the way…
Well, this can literally happen in some older train stations!
If you press the help/assistance button on certain ticket machines, a hidden attendant will pop out of the wall and guide you. Difficult to imagine what that looks like? Check out the video below!
I could not find a list of stations that offer this service, but I read online that it is typically only available at older stations. If you encounter a ticket machine that has the help/assistance button and a panel that looks like it might double as a door, you might be in luck to witness this magic (but of course, only press the button when you actually need help)!