I also like sites where I don’t have to click through a bunch of times. I remember when the first airlines websites were rolled out. One airline required five clicks to get to the flight status page. I am glad they abandoned that idea and put flight status on the first page.
I very much like how the article puts site design in the context of what the Japanese expect culturally and functionally. The site should reflect what the users needs are.
Some context:
* JR is separated for historical reason (national train's unions were terrible). It's hard to revert after all companies become public.
* People standing next to ATM are to avoid elders get scammed. Scamming elders by phone is a thing.