Can you sit in the priority seats on a Japanese train?
Yes, when the carriage is empty — they are not reserved, they are first to give up. Stand the moment someone elderly, pregnant, injured or with a small child appears, without waiting to be asked. Many people also keep their phone out of sight near these seats, a habit left over from older signs asking for it.
Where this answer comes from
Say it in Japanese
Show the card to the staff. The Japanese, how to read it, and the recorded voice.