Tokyo---The dream city still lives up to her name - Ding Yiyin

Tokyo, the city which has always been ranked as one of the most splendid metropolitan city in the world had recently become the city under threat. The 3.11 earthquake in northeast Japan and the Fukushima nuclear crisis has once again put Tokyo under the lime light of the world and this time it is not pleasant.

Many foreigners moved out or temporarily evacuated out of Tokyo after the earthquake. Over two months have gone after the crisis, how is life in Tokyo now?

Landing in the evening at Narita Airport the hall was less crowded than usual. But we were still greeted with the impeccable service. The most convenient city transportation method --- metro still runs according to the time table and I was able to arrive home on time.

The summer has kindly greeted the city and there are flowers everywhere. It is so rare to see so many diverse colors and types of flowers in any city in China. They were always a dull monotone. But it is a great delight to walk in the clean and quiet neighborhood in countryside Tokyo and enjoy the blooming flowers coming out of people’s open yard. And lovely encounters with people walking out their cute akita dogs.

The supermarket has once again stacked with abundant products including water. The city functions as before and people with black-tie looks rushing to the metro station for work … It looks as if Pandora box has never been opened and life carries on just as before….

But if you observe really carefully you could still detect some minor changes: the beverage vending machines you could see everywhere in Tokyo now runs without lighting on the products. Some escalators have temporarily turned off to save the electricity as well as lighting in the metros during the day time. Japanese would include some northeast cities like Sendai into their travel destinations. You could see posters online and in the city about the spirit of a strong Japanese nation.

From what I observe I have confidence that this country will once again recover from the disaster and Tokyo will still not disappoint you with her unique charms.

Transportation in Japan Chapter 2 (Yo Yo)

Wise Ticketing

As you already know how convenient that Japanese train system is, and you will ride trains a lot while you are in Japan. It is important to understand how train tickets work and buy your ticket wisely all the time. Wise ticketing not only save your money, but also manage your time efficiently.

There two major train and subway market makers in Tokyo. One is public owned which is called toei, the other one is private owned which is known as JR. Even though there are different companies and they different train passes, they are transfer-friendly. One the most know train of Japan called Shinkansen (bullet train) is running by JR. The company operates trains in different cities include Tokyo. However, toei is still the most important train system over the country.

Due to a big amount of people ride trains and subways, the cost of trains and subways are expensive in Japan. A single ride really cost 100 to 300 Japanese Yen which is about 1 to 3 dollar. Unlike in U.S, students do not have a big discount or free rides. If you live faraway, taking transfers to get school every day, the cost of whole day transportation fee can be more than 10 dollars. However, you can definitely purchase month pass or season pass which is much cheaper than buying ticket individually. You can purchase a card ticket called teikiken which allows you ride certain line from certain stations to your home station in a period of time. This teikiken can be issued at your home station with your student ID. Not only student can purchase teikiken, everyone who is regularly rides certain line is good for teikiken. This teikiken is not like a regular bus pass in U.S that you can ride any bus any time during the period. The teikiken only works for your daily route (between assigned stations). This card ticket can also work in another way. You can put money in this teikiken and use it for your extra rides that are not between assigned stations. After the period, you can re-charge the cared by same amount of money for a new riding period.

If you want to buy individual ticket for any single ride, it is good to look at the exact price before you purchase ticket. Every station has a map that helps people to figure out how much of the ticket one should buy for commuting from this station to other ones. All tickets are sold by ticket machines, and they are very easy to use. But do not worry about if you purchase wrong price ticket for your ride, you can do fare adjustment before you get out of the destination station. Fare adjustment machines will either ask you to pay the lack of money or return you what is over-paid. Fare adjustment can be also done by a station employee if you think the fare adjustment machine is too complicated.

There are always a lot of different ways to get to your destination. Some of them are fewer transfers, some of them are faster, and some of them are cheaper. To search on Google Map or other train website in Japan before you head to somewhere is always a good idea. Those search engines always tell you the total price, how long it takes and the train schedules. Now, you can start your amazing train journey in Tokyo.

Transportation in Japan Chapter 1 (Yo Yo)

Riding trains in Tokyo

As one of the busiest cities in the world, Tokyo should be proud of its remarkable performance in city communications, especially its train system. If you come to Japan, you will be amazed by its excellent train system in many ways.

Japanese people, especially in Tokyo, usually like to ask each where each other live. Unlike in U.S, people tend to say street or block names, Japanese tell each other which train or subway station they use to get home. It shows that almost every Japanese uses train or subway every day in their daily life. As Japan is not a giant country, train is also major transportation of domestic travel, but not only city communications. You can get to most place in Japan by train with a reasonable amount of time.

Inside Tokyo, it is common to individuals spend 2 or 4 hours within train every day. Due to the high cost of rentals people are intend to leave farer from city centers. Wherever you go in Tokyo you take train or subway first, and then walk a little or take a bus. Bus routes are often short, since buses are normally running for certain areas. In addition, train stations are also regular meeting points for Japanese since it is simple to inform. Therefore, it will be nice to be familiar with some major stations of Tokyo city.

However, train and subway systems are convenient but complicated at the same time. There are too many lines of trains and subways in Tokyo city, and each line has different run modes, too. There are local, express limited express and other modes. Local is which the trains stop every station on the designed route. Express trains skip some non-busy stations and limited express trains only stop at most important major stations. It is important to not take the wrong train if your home station is a not a major stop. Otherwise you might need to take a lot extra time to get back. In contrast, if your home station is a major station, you do not want to take local trains because it cost a lot more time then take express trains. Different modes are really distinguished by colors; it won’t be extreme hard if you read signs carefully. Also, there are some simple lines which only supply local route, it is much easier to manipulate. I personally consider that taking trains in Tokyo is a subject of science due to its complication. You also have to care about directions because all platforms are close and similar to each other. It will be easy to make mistake, especially if you do not read Kanjis.

Some top major stations in Tokyo, such like Shinjuku or Shibuya, supply more than 10 lines. Those stations are huge and easy to get lost. It is totally possible to ride the wrong line if one doesn't read signs wisely. One of the greatest things about trains in Japan is that the waiting time are usually less than 15 minutes for all lines. Therefore, you won’t be too late for any appointment even if you miss one train, except if there is train accident. Yes, train accidents are common in Japan. It is another major cause of late trains beside rush hour and weather. Due to some reasons, jumping in to railways is one of the high rate suicide ways in Japan. Don't be too surprised when you hear the announcement called “jinshinjiko.”  And also don't be afraid of late for class, work or appointment, you will get a white paper with train stations’ seal to prove that those uncontrollable situations. How wise and humanized the system is.

Riding trains in Japan will be one of your interesting experiences.

Public Transport (Gillian)

In another of my articles, I talked about how convenience stores are one of the coolest things about day-to-day life in Japan. In this article, I’ll be talking about another aspect of Japanese day-to-day life that is, in my opinion, exceptionally cool: public transport.


This is perhaps one of the most mundane of all possible topics. To think of public transport as 'cool' is a bizarre idea to many, I am sure. However, I have a reason for my admiration. In my life, I have lived in three countries – Australia, England and Japan. In Australia I lived in suburbs that did not have train stations. To get to school I would have to take two buses before I would reach a train station, and then have to take a train for the rest of the journey. This process would take me at least an hour and a half, provided that the trains were on time (which they often were not). And these suburbs were relatively close to the centre of Sydney. The day I got my driver’s licence was a wonderful day indeed. In England the situation is somewhat better. Any relatively suburban town will have a train station, and even the most rural villages (one of which I lived in for two years) have a bus service. But in true British fashion these buses and trains are often late and tend to go completely haywire at the first sign of adverse weather conditions. After experiencing public transport in these two countries, and knowing that these countries should be miles better at having decent public transport than the countries not fortunate enough to be as wealthy as Australia and England are, I began to suspect that there was no country in the world with a nearly 100% fully functional public transport system.


Then along came Japan, swinging heroically through the window, to put my fears to rest. Because, when it comes to public transport, Japan is unquestionably the country that you want to pay attention to for a lesson on how it is done. It is perfectly possible to live pretty much anywhere in Japan that has a sizeable population, and never, ever need to use a car; a concept that is virtually unheard of in most other countries.


First of all, if you want to travel anywhere within a town and walking does not appeal, there will be a reliable bus service available. The buses always arrive frequently and on time, and have a clear map showing exactly where they plan to go. Considering the number of times I found myself travelling to strange places during my childhood Australian bus-riding escapades, the prospect of maps alone sold me on Japanese buses. On Japanese buses you often pay when you get off the bus rather than when you get on. This is time-saving, because it means that you can count out the amount of money you need while you are on the bus, and not waste everybody’s time counting out money when you get on. This helps the bus service stay punctual.

 The top photo is a detailed bus map, and the bottom photo is a Japanese bus whose final destination is Tokyo Tower.

Then, of course, there are Japanese trains. Japanese trains are legendary. In Tokyo, there is a train station in every town, and you can be certain that a train will be there for you every 5-10 minutes. In the heart of Tokyo the trains will come even more frequently than that. Inside the trains are television screens frequently displaying how far you are along the line, and announcements in Japanese and English telling you what station is coming up next. As the train leaves every station, the official-looking chaps in smart uniforms with white gloves check that all of the controls are in working order with the meticulousness we all know and love the Japanese for, and the train pulls away at the precise second that it is supposed to depart.

On top is a diagram of the JR (Japan Rail - Japan's main rail company) train line routes, focusing on Tokyo. The circular light green coloured line in the middle, the Yamanote line, takes you to all of the main stations in the centre of Tokyo. The lower photo is of a typical JR train. JR trains are normally colour-coded to represent the lines on which they run. The light green on this train represents the Yamanote line.

If you are travelling long distances across Japan, you do of course have the option of flying, and that option is most probably the cheapest with flights costing as little as they do these days. However, if you want that truly amazing, uniquely Japanese public transport experience, you cannot beat the Shinkansen, or the ‘bullet train’, as they are referred to for our lowly English-speaking ears. Averaging speeds of 262km/h, the shinkansen will get you from Tokyo to Kyoto in two hours and 18 minutes. A smoother train ride you will not experience for quite some time, despite the shinkansen's awe-inspiring speed. Riding the shinkansen is an experience that any avid train lover should not miss. My train-loving father often says that riding one was one of the best parts of our holiday in Japan in March 2006.

The upper picture is a simple map showing the main shinkansen routes along Japan. To give you an indication of the shinkansen’s speed, the central red line can be travelled in just over two hours. The lower picture is a photo of a shinkansen. Notice how the trains have distinct ‘noses’, which helps to combat wind resistance.

In conclusion, public transport might seem fairly mundane. But I think we can all recall a time that we have ranted and raved over a train being 15 minutes late, or a bus missing your stop or not going where you thought it would go, or long-distance travel across a country taking too long. For those reasons, I would say a country that has managed to pull off an admirable public transport system should be congratulated and considered exceptionally cool, and Japan’s public transport system, for one, is cool beyond reckoning.

Tokyo's subway (Marièke POULAT)

One of the most known image of Japan, after the one of the temples, of the cherry blossom and of the Geishas, is the one of a crowded subway, with people entering and leaving it in waves. And, as it is often the case with clichés, this image is not so true. Indead, if Tokyo's subway is crowded during the rush-hours and Shinjuku station is the biggest subway station with more that 3 millions passengers in a day, it is possible to seat in the subway outside rush-hours and this
transportation doesn't mean a lot of lateness even if many people use it everyday.

Tokyo's subway during the rush-hours

(From Michael Fulvia, a photograph1)

This first cliché a little demystified, let's answer to the second question... Is it possible to use Tokyo's subway if we don't speak a single word of Japanese ? And the answer is... Yes. Most of the time. And this is thanks to a system well adapted to the foreigners, with, for instance, the presence of the name of each station and of each line in kanjis (Japanese characters imported from China and illegible) but with some romajis subtitles (romajis being the translation of Japanese characters in romans letters so you can understand them without an hesitation). Each line is distinguished by different colors and letters and each station has a number which let us know where it is located on the line and a music... That's why you will be able to hear the opening of Astroboy each time you will get off at Takadanobaba station, the district where this character has born the 7 th of april in 2003. Moreover, ticket machines can be put in English: you only have to push the « English » button on the screen... a button that, even if you can speak a little Japanese, you are always released to find... So, in the stations, it is easy enough to understand where you are. It is also quite easy to not lose yourself in the trains, where most of the time the name of the station where you are arriving is written on a screen in Kanjis and Romajis... even if there are still some lines where there isn't any screen and then, you will have to listen attentively to the voice which announces the stations or ask to your neighbour who will help you most of the time (See the little Lexico at the end of this
article).

Kanjis and Romajis on Hybia line

1 http://www.tuxboard.com/metro-de-tokyo-aux-heures-de-pointe/

So, yes. If you are able to understand how does the parisian subway work, you will be able to
understand the one of Tokyo... even if the system is quite different. Indead, there exist in Tokyo two different companies, a situation which creates sometimes some problems while you are transfering and most of the time when you have to pay. Indead, if you take two lines, and if each line is from a different companie, you will have to buy two different tickets... which is not really practical and quite expansive. The two companies are JR East and Tokyo Subway Metro. The first one holds the Yamanote Line, the biggest line in Tokyo which goes to most of the most important districts of the city (as Shinjuku, Shibuya, Akihabara, Ueno or Ikebukuro...), and some lines going outside of the city, to Kamakura, for instance. On the other hand, Tokyo Subway Metro's lines are exclusively inside the city. To simplify everyday life of the subway's custommers the authorities are currently talking about a fusion for next year, but it is very hypothetical...

The different companies of Tokyo

For practical purposes, the passage from a company to another is only signifies by a portal, the lines being located in the same stations... However, it is very visible when you have to pay. The charge system of Tokyo's subway is also a little different from what we have in France as you have to pay for a distance and not for a lenght of time. That's why each station has is own price, indicated on maps located close to the ticket machines. To make the payment easier, it is also possible to buy a prepayed card. There exist two different ones: one is the Suica, sold by JR East, and the other one is the PASMO, sold by Tokyo Subway Metro. They both cost 500¥ (about 5€) and can be charged from 1000 to 10 000 ¥, but their use doesn't make the prices smaller. For most of the customers, there isn't any real difference between these two cards (as you can use them on both kinds of lines). The only difference which exists is about the monthly season ticket: if you want a season ticket for JR East's lines, you need the Suica, and if you want one for Tokyo Subway Metro's lines, you need a PASMO.

PASMO and SUICA

Finally, it is not so complicated to take the subway in Tokyo, even though the size of the stations can be scary at the first sight... To find the good exit can be epic the first time... An advice: you should think of checking the number of the closest exit to go to the place you want to go to avoid searching during too many time... And don't hesitate to ask to the station agents who wear an uniform and who are located at all the exits: they have maps of the subway and of Tokyo in English and they will be glad to be able to help you... even if most of them don't speak a single word of English...

However, please note that these informations are only valables for Tokyo's subway... Indead, I decided to visit some others places by train in Japan, and these adaptations for those who don't speak Japanese are not settle everywhere... and even close to Tokyo, as I was at only one hour from Tokyo. Moreover, the system of trains is a little complicated, with the Shinkansen, the Express trains, the Limited express trains or the local trains... which are all differents and which don't stop in the same stations. So, if you want to travel outside from Tokyo, you should well prepare your travel by writing all the names of the stations, of the directions and the lines, and if it is not enough, don't be afraid to ask to take the right train... to avoid to pay some extra fees because you took an Express train instead of a local one... (Yes, I did that...)

And, after all, you also came to Japan to prove to everyone that you were able to survive, don't
you ? So, enjoy your trip and, don't worry, even if you're lost in the biggest subway station of the world you will always find out your way !

Usefull Vocabulary ! (you should have the same in your guidebook -_-')
– きっぷ = Kippu = Ticket
– 駅 = えき = Eki = Station
– 北口 = Kitaguchi = North Exit
– 南口 = Minamiguchi = South Exit
– 東口 = Higashigushi = East Exit
– 西口 = Nishigushi = West Exit
→ Place は どこですか。= Place wa doko desu ka ? = Where is this place ?
→ Or, if you're lost: Where are we now ? Ima wa doko desu ka ? Or Koko wa doko desu ku ?

Japanese Subway and Train (Yu Jin Yi)

One of the most difficult things about adjusting to the life in Japan was the
subway and train system. The train system in Japan differs a lot from that of Korea in
mainly three aspects; 1) whether one can “transfer” from one line to another, 2) the
existence of express trains, and 3) the rules and social norms inside and out of the train.
The train map of Tokyo is very complicated. JR Yamanote-sen, a counterpart
of Seoul’s 2nd subway line, runs through the central Tokyo in a big circle—and lots of
long or short subway/train lines pass through it. Especially to a foreigner like myself,
figuring out the giant train map in a first glance is close to impossible, so I usually look
at the simplified version of the map or ask the station officer for the directions. What’s
more? Each line is managed by different companies (unlike how two big companies are
in charge of the line different subway lines in Seoul) that there is no “transfer” policy
like that in Korea. So in Korea one would have to pay the additional fee only when
transferring to a different line, whereas in Japan one would have to pay from the basic
charge to transfer.
Another interesting feature of Japanese train system is that there are express
trains and local trains. Local train would stop at every single train stations (like most of
the lines in Seoul) whereas the express one would stop at certain stations and pass by
some stations in between. So when taking a train in Japan, one should always check the
time table at the platform to see if the next train’s going to be local or express. It’s quite
confusing at first, but once you get used to it the system is convenient. You can save
your time by taking the express instead of stopping at every single station—which is so
Japanese. Recently Seoul’s subway line 9 also adopted the express train policy. I hope
the policy works out efficiently.
Aside from these procedural matters, there are more subtle “train manners” that
are different from Korea’s. In Korea, though it’s not something to be appreciated,
talking on the phone when on the subway is not illegal—but it is in Japan. It’s banned,
according to my friend, because the electromagnetic waves from the cellular phones are
fatal to the elderly and the infirm. Moreover, when it rains, almost everyone fold the
umbrella and tie it with the lace attached on it—unlike how in Korea people leave the
umbrella lose within the train car. Also, Japanese people wait in lines outside of the train
until everyone within the car get off. It makes it easier for the passengers to get off of
the train, which is something Korea should also do, in my opinion.
As the saying goes, Japan is close but distant country after all. Some things are
really similar to that in Korea, but we have various disparities—among them things to
learn from.

A RIDE ON THE YAMANOTE Chapter 3 (Pietro)

Next stop Shinjuku. On all Japanese trains it is not difficult to find your way, even for those who know no Japanese at all. In all stations signs and names of stations are written both in Japanese characters and in letters –here called romaji. The female registered voice announcing stations and changes will speak to you also in English. If this were not enough, every station, also the smallest ones, are full of personnel ready to help you out –up to the point to accompanying you to the places you are looking for or to explain anything in details using the international sign language.

Let’s take the Yamanote and get off in Shinjuku, in the fourth of circle located on the bottom to the left. We will find a station too big to be understood. It is the biggest station in Japan for number of passengers, with more than three million people passing here every day. During rush hours you will have to raise your elbows to make your way to the trains. Impossible to understand its geography, just look at the indications that will take you to your train or to your exit. Something that will also help you is that in every station you will find indications to reach virtually any place of interest in the area. Furthermore, at every exit you will find a map, but be careful: for some reason which I cannot understand, Japanese maps sometimes have the North pointing down, or left, or right. So make sure you check where the North is or you might find yourself wandering in a circle for hours.

If you get to Shinjuku with the Yamanote and take the stairs from the platform to the station, you will get to a long and broad corridor. On one side all exits on the West side, on the other the ones on the East side. If you go out on the West side you will find a world full of skyscrapers and post-modern architecture, flowing buildings made of mirrors and bending towers. It is a rather quiet area, full of offices, upscale hotels, business restaurants. One of the towers hosts the Metropolitan Governemnt offices. It is the highest building in the area and if you climb up to the top (the entry is free) you will be able to appreciate a stunning view of the city, both daytime and nighttime. If the weather is particularly fine you will also see Mount Fuji as a background to Shinjuku. A very fast elevator that will make your ears feel weird will take you to the top in less than a minute.

On the other hand, if you take one of the exits on the East side you will face a chaotic world: big shopping malls with tenths of young people wearing the shops’ uniforms screaming to you the offers of the day. A chaos of lights, noises, bars, restaurants, cars, big screens.

Five minutes from the east exits of Shinjuku station you will also find Kabuki-cho, an area that takes its name from the kabuki theater, but that is actually the red lights district of Tokyo. It is worth a visit. Do not expert Amsterdam: nothing in Japan is exposed but rather hidden by a wall –even if it is just made of paper. It is a different area, full of gentlemen’s clubs, massage centres, love hotels and much more. What is actually surprising is the very natural way many people pass through this very central area of Tokyo with the same air as they were having a walk in  Yoyogi park or in a shopping mall.

A RIDE ON THE YAMANOTE Chapter 2 (Pietro)

In the Greater Tokyo Area every day a miracle is performed: 80% of the population reach their workplace using the public transportation. The immediate consequence of this is a second miracle: in an area populated by 36 million people with one of the highest population densities in the world traffic becomes a marginal problem. If you live in a central area of Tokyo and you don’t hear much noise from the street, that’s rather normal. Many streets in Tokyo have no place for parking cars –in many areas of Tokyo you can live a comfortable life without a car.

In Tokyo there is an underground system with nine metro lines, but many Japanese people hardly know them. More than the underground, railways are used. Many companies offer railway services in Tokyo. The most important is JR (an easy name also for the Westerners who do not speak any Japanese –it is written in letters and not in Japanese characters). JR operates tenths of lines, the most important of which is the Yamanote circle line. In every station you will see the map of the JR lines, among which a light green circle with 29 dots is particularly visible. Six of these dots are bigger as they represent the six main stations: Ueno, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Shinagawa and Tokyo. This latter one is tricky: as we said, Tokyo is not a city but a fusion of cities and wards. None of these is called Tokyo, but inside one of them there is an area named Tokyo –the one around the Tokyo station –an area full of modern buildings and skyscrapers populated by businessmen. We will talk about the characteristics of these places later, now let’s have a look inside the train

In a city where four fifths of the population reach their workplace with the public transportation, trains make everyone somehow alike. On the trains in Tokyo you will see students, workers, businessmen, working class, young girls in miniskirts and a lot of make-up, old women in kimono, Japanese housewives, foreign tourists frantically looking at their maps, foreign residents, young people in kimono, old people watching tv on their mobile phones. Everybody next to each other.

Tokyo is a city of commuters and spending a long time on the train every day is very normal. Although many lines have trains every 2 to 3 minutes, seats are never enough and reading while standing, watching tv on your mobile phone, playing on a small playstation is very common to let time pass on the train. On all Japanese trains it is strictly frobidden to speak on the phone: in general the atmosphere is very relaxed and silent. That is because on the trains in Japan the most sacred occupation is sleeping. Using long commuting times to gain some more sleep is very common to all commuters who are used to wake up as soon as the registered voice announces their station.

A RIDE ON THE YAMANOTE Chapter I (Pietrovito Moschetti)

Tokyo is no city. It is not very clear where it begins nor where it ends; it is impossible to define its centre; it has no mayor.

From a legal point of view Tokyo is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. But a special one. In fact it is not called県 (ken), as the other prefectures, but 都 (to), which we could translate as metropolitan area. Furthermore, there is the so called Greater Tokyo Area which is formed by the union of the metropolitan area of Tokyo with three bordering prefectures (inside of which we find famous cities like Yokohama e Kawasaki). The Greater Tokyo Area is a giant of 35 milion inhabitants, who alone produce a GDP similar to the one of France. The metropolitan area of Tokyo, which counts around 12 milion people is divided into 26 cities and 23 special wards. Each one of them elect its mayor. The borders of these cities and wards are only on the map: walking around in Tokyo you will notice no border as the urban area continues with no interruption. To notice that you have walked to a different city or ward you will have to look at the address on the doors of shops and houses.

All this is not necessarily of great help for you to understand the geography of Tokyo. A Japanese person will probably not tell you the name of the city or the ward he lives in, as it would be too much a vague description for you to distinctly locate it on the map. In Tokyo the best way to locate spots on the map is by telling your nearest train or metro station. That is because, inside the Greater Tokyo Area, it is very hard to find a place that is farther than a 15 minute walk to a station. Hence, the station gives the name to the area around it. Places like Ueno, Roppongi, Ikebukuro, Akihabara are no cities nor wards from a legal point of view, but are far more popular names in the minds of people living in Tokyo than the names of the cities of Tokyo.

We said that there is no centre in Tokyo. Impossible to find one in an area that is a fusion of so many cities, every one with its own architecture and characteristics.  In Tokyo, though, there is a circle. Actually, it is more oval-shaped than a circle, but on almost every map and the mind of every person living in Tokyo it is a perfect circle, with a circumference of 35 kilometers. A train can do a round turn of it in 55 minutes, stopping at 29 stations. It’s the Yamanote circle, among tenths of rail lines the most important in Tokyo. Every day alone it moves three million and a half passengers (just to give you an idea, the whole tube system in London has less than 3 million passengers every day). From 4,30 am to half past midnight it goes around the circle in both senses, touching the majority of the most important and crowded spots in Tokyo. It also sets an important border: if you live inside the Yamanote circle you are very central, if you live just outside the circle you are rather central, the farther you live from the Yamanote, the less central you are.

In these pages we ride the Yamanote and we have a look at the world we see inside the train (taking a train in Japan is a rather interesting experience anthropologically speaking) as well as outside the stations.

The Train Experience is Cool in Japan (Amirali)

“Intriguing, exotic, mind-blowing”! You just run out of words if it is your first experience coming to Japan: one of the coolest places on Earth. A tiring day at work seems glorified with the glittering streets, eye-catching malls, gigantic skyscrapers, luscious food and of course the public transportation- one of the best in the world.

Imagine driving a car every morning to work for two hours, only to know that you have to drive back home after a long, tiring day at work. To add to the woes narrow streets and jammed roads make the journey much exhausting. Such features are regular in most countries around the world, even in the developed ones. However, what makes Japan stand out is its remarkable public transportation system that is spread all across the country.

Most noteworthy is the complex train system, both inter-city and intra-city, that caters the needs of the majority people in the country, especially Tokyo. If you are a businessman, student, artist, housewife or casual fun-loving traveler, the trains and subways in Japan are the ideal choice. The JR (Japan Railways) covers all important destinations, while the other trains and subways reach out to specific routes in the city. Starting from a nominal charge of 130yen, the trains provide enough seats and cover for standing passengers. A day’s journey can be dynamic and eventful. Early morning experiences the “Rush Hour” with packed trains and passengers ready for a long day’s work. The afternoons are pleasant and less crowded with students going back home and working people travelling to get lunch. Evenings are amusing and the opposite of mornings; the people who were fresh in the morning, now wearily return to their homes. Nights again catch momentum, especially on weekends when mostly the young people get free from work and enjoy in clubs, shopping complexes or bars.

It’s cool how a train journey can enriches experiences. You often see two strangers starting a talk formally, only to realize they have a common friend; after all ‘It’s a small world’. They rest of their journey is full of laughter and beaming expressions which brings a smile to the ones around them. It’s fun to see some of the passengers sleeping while standing; while others enjoy reading manga or novels and make the most out of their time.

The amount of planning behind this infrastructure is cool and worth admiring; the trains literally leave no area in the city unattended. You just name an area and the trains would get you there! Yet another cool thing in Japan is the punctuality. If the schedule says a train would arrive at a certain time, it would definitely be there on time. This enables you to carry out your plans punctually with no time lags. Moreover, there are special seats reserved for pregnant women, mothers with small children and the old people. Considering the increasing foreign population, announcements are made both in Japanese and English. In short, the trains facilitate you in every way possible to make your journey comfortable, cool and safe.

However, it is not only the train journey that is full of experiences, the train stations are worth admiring too. Some of them have developed into huge shopping complexes with huge diversity of things for the passengers to choose from. It is said, a passenger can never go hungry out of a train station. Each station has a variety of restaurants which either catches your senses by the delicious aroma of food or the glittering ornamentation it possesses. You can enjoy an appetizing meal with your friends at the station and continue with your schedule.

But my friend, the journey doesn’t end here! In Japan, you don’t need reasons to smile; happiness embraces you at every spot. Just as you exit from a train station, there are public spaces with groups of people enjoying the moment. Some smoke, others cheer. But the ones who catch most attention are the casual musicians or dancers who are always successful to gather a mob and earn their applause. It actually gives you a grand welcome with music, cheers and joy all around as you exit the station.

And eventually you realize, “It’s not worth having a personal car and paying expensive parking tickets! The trains in Japan are cool and the experience to travel in them worth admiring!”