Train Tracks in the Tokyo Tumult

This past week hasn't been particularly exciting. I've spent some time with friends, and classes have started again. I always enjoy going back to school, mainly because it means seeing a lot of people on a daily basis, but I usually enjoy classes as well. Other than that though, there has been nothing of note really. So today due to the lack of interesting adventures, let's take a look at trains!

Train System Layout

I usually joke that the map for the train system in Tokyo was drawn by a 5-year-old. It would be funny...except for the fact that I absolutely believe it. If you need proof, just take a peak at the map. Keep in mind, this is the "simplified" map, it's actually a little bit messier.

The Tokyo Metro train network map.

Here's the kicker: that map is only the trains that are operated by the government-run Tokyo Metro system. There are also the trains run by Japan Railways (which are equally as numerous), and a handful of other privately owned lines that snake all throughout the city.

After living in Chicago this summer, I thought I had trains down. However, going from a system with 7 or 8 different colored trains to one that has more colors than I even know how to say in Japanese was quite the leap. Turns out it can be hard to determine which of 3 different shades of blue represents the train that you actually want to get on....

But you know what's even crazier about the psychedelic ball of yarn that Tokyo calls a train system?

It works. Tremendously well. It's the single most effective, well-oiled, convenient transportation system I have ever seen. All of the trains usually run every 3-10 minutes depending on the line and station, and are almost never late. Ever. It's absolutely incredible, and once you figure out the diagrams you can know exactly how long it will take to get to your stop, and which car of the train to board in order to be closest to your transfer just by glancing at a sign as you walk by.

Train Etiquette

In some ways train-goers in Japan are much more polite than in the US, and in some ways getting on a train can be the most stressful part of your day.

First for the polite part. On trains in Japan, absolutely nobody ever talks on their cellphone. It doesn't matter of the emperor himself calls you, you do not answer your phone on a train. Nor do you eat on the train, or do anything that could generally be perceived as disturbing. Because of that, riding the train  can be a really pleasant experience, and everybody is usually very cordial in the way they respect the other passengers.

That is, except during rush hour.

Despite popular belief that you have a "personal bubble", no such thing exists on a train in Tokyo. The only restriction to how many people can fit on a train is how hard the station attention can shove people in. Literally, the attendants will start literally packing people in when necessary. Fortunately I never cared much about personal space, which is good because on a rush hour train, you ain't gettin' it; you're lucky if you have wiggle room for your nose.

Tickets

The only thing more efficient than the trains themselves in Tokyo is the ticketing system. Instead of buying an actual train ticket, almost everybody has an RFID card that you swipe when you enter and leave a train platform. Fares are based on the distance that you traveled, and are automatically deducted from your card. All you have to do is charge it up, and you can literally use that card to get to the other side of Japan.

Despite the moments of insanity, overall the train system in Tokyo is astounding. It's wicked efficient, connects all major areas of the world's biggest city, and has a color spectrum that could give the rainbow a run for its money.