October 31, 2007
Tokyo (JAPAN)

Unique to Japan, Topic #1: Rail Transport in Tokyo

As is shown in the picture on the right, packed trains are a common sight during rush hour periods in Tokyo. In fact, there are literally men whose job is to push people onto trains so that more people will fit. I always make sure to stay away from such attendants because they are too forceful in their attempts at cramming people together, and I don't particularly like the idea of being denigrated to a human sardine. However, unless I feel like waiting around for several hours, every train that comes to the station will be equally crowded and I often have to put claustrophobia aside.

Once the doors close, it is horribly awkward with people and body parts going every which way. I can often see the uncomfortable look on the faces of women, and they surely feel worse than anyone as they are more 'vulnerable'. I always do my best to raise my hands so they are flat against the ceiling (I am typically one of the tallest people in any train car) and look upward to ease their obvious discomfort, but most men are hardly so accommodating. The worst is the groping that has become a problem in Tokyo, but the government has done its best to curb this recent trend by designated cars as being women only to offer protection from the cramming.

Another particularly unique aspect of the trains is that the typical Japanese norms of respect and courtesy vanish as people vie to get on or off the train. Typically, the Japanese are the world's most accommodating people, but something snaps inside many people when the doors open and people want to get off. There are elbows to the ribs, men pushing over women, and tempers often flare. I was once a victim when a man realized we were at his stop, and he very nearly bowled me over in his attempt to get off. Had I not pushed him back, which caused him to react with shock and obvious fear at this hostile gai-jin, he would have pushed down onto the platform. In the end, I was able to edge my way off the train, thereby allowing him to pass, and then squeeze back on, but I really wanted to give the guy a good knock as he passed by me with his head cowered. Personally, I would stay on the train until the next stop and then backtrack rather than forcefully push a complete stranger - and I certainly wouldn't be so shocked if my pushing caused someone else to react.

The map to the left shows the various railway lines found in metro Tokyo alone. There are 34 lines that run through the city, with countless others connecting all the "sleeper towns" (which are actually "sleeper cities") where most people live. There is nothing more intimidating than looking up at a map like this and trying to figure out how to go from point A to point B. The trick I have learned is to use various websites, such as Jorudan (http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/), to find the various connections required in advance.

Despite such a tangled mess of places, the staff inside subway stations will go above and beyond to be of assistance, and they will always take the time to write out detailed instructions should they be necessary. Obviously the language barrier can be somewhat of a hindrance (hell, welcome to Japan!), but the kindness of the Japanese goes a long way to remedying this.

Lastly, a final fact: an estimated 7.4 million passengers ride the Tokyo subway every day, and I am one of them.