Tokyo Railway Commute — Thrilling or Traumatic?
If you’re lucky enough (or unlucky enough) to find a woman in front of you, better keep those hands up.
Always in Awe
For any expat who’s traveled to the Land of the Rising Sun, more or less he or she has gone through Tokyo first before proceeding anywhere else in the country as it is a must-see and oftentimes the point of entry. As the largest city in the world, Tokyo far transcends most Asian cities in popularity. This certainly has led to a massive influx of foreigners flocking to its clean, aesthetically beautiful, yet crowded streets.
I met a friend once who’s been to various cities in countries of great renown but as soon as he got to visit Tokyo, every other place he had visited was suddenly just “mehh”.
Was it because of the technological superiority? Was it because of the great weather? The cleanliness perhaps? All might be true for Tokyo but it’s definitely Tokyo’s or Japan’s peculiarity at large that sets it apart from the rest of the world and attracts hordes and hordes of foreigners. I mean, the Japanese just seem to have a different way of doing things which more often than not is more creative, efficient or more fun (sometimes it just flat-out makes no sense). To date there are 2.38 million foreign residents living in Japan, 400,000 something of which live in Tokyo.
As a foreigner in Japan, I have come to love just the little things that you can only witness and do here such as taking an onigiri to work as packed lunch, feeling the sincerity of people’s hearts when they offer you a ‘bow’ and a kind greeting, even the ridiculous amount of politeness in general can be pretty overwhelming. There’s also the pop culture and manga/anime hype among savants; the tiny apartments, the squirting electronic toilets, the crazy bikers who think they’re pedestrians. Almost everything about this place is foreign, new, unique and will never cease to leave you in awe. Although you can spot western influences here and there, Japan still remains to be a country that has retained a culture that one can say is truly theirs.
The Tokyo Railway Commute
It can get really fun (nightmarish for some?) down in the subway/railway stations, especially during rush hour. You know what I’m talking about — for a span of an hour or two, the Tokyo commuter and local trains somehow turn into tightly sealed tuna cans. The people are the tuna..
Have you been there before? So have I. There was one point where I had someone’s arm on my shoulder, a woman’s hand almost grazing my “it-that-must-not-be-named” and a small old man’s back against mine as he pushed us all back as if he had the strength of two people. I literally couldn’t move nor get my phone out as someone’s body part will more or less be in the way should you attempt it. On the busiest of days, station officers are situated by the train doors tasked to literally push the passengers into an already crammed-in group of people. You’ll be amazed how flexible the human body could be. It’s definitely a bizarre and startling experience especially for first-timers but you’ll get used to it in time. If wild and random experiences tickle your fancy, I personally recommend that you try it.
But a word of caution however — always have the positive attitude and patience to fall in line and just submit to the system as it is greatly frowned upon in Japan for one doesn’t adhere to order. This is what amazed me the most — how in the most grueling situations, the Japanese do become desperate and be on high alert but they still remain respectful and obedient. They will line up, they will give you what is due and humbly apologize should they violate it in any way.
So for a foreigner in Japan, I suggest you do the same as you don’t want everyone in the train to be staring at your “gaijin-ness”. Be courteous, understanding, plug in those earphones, keep to yourself and just listen to calming music if it gets really crowded. I’m sure a little Coldplay will make you forget that other Japanese man’s nose that’s inches from your neck.
Lastly! Avoid the appearance of ‘evil’. And what I mean by that is, show everyone that you’re not into any funny business. If you’re lucky enough(or unlucky enough) to find a woman in front of you during t, better keep those hands up and keep ’em high for everyone to see. You absolutely do not want to be accused of perverted and abusive behavior.
If you do experience Japan, Tokyo or the commuter rush hour for that matter, all I can say is — enjoy every second of it as there’s nothing like it anywhere else in the world. Japan will forever remain as one of the more interesting countries out there for good reason. And if you do get to immerse deeper into this society, you will without a doubt learn respect, honor, trust and many other valuable attributes that’s basically inherent to the Japanese way of life. It’ll be quite an experience I assure you. Ganbatte Kudasai in your undertakings.
Written and Edited by: Ian Lorenz Gomez
