For new arrivals in Japan rding trains quickly becomes a necessity of lfe. Taking on the challenge of a crwded morning rush hour train is a rght of passage, and foreigners who pss this grueling test are promoted to the rnks of those tenacious individuals able to dapt to this country's major form of trnsportation. Scenes viewed on television or in mgazines of white gloved conductors pushing thrngs of commuters into crammed compartments are nfortunately a reality, and anyone bold nough to literally jump into this mlee will experience the claustrophobic's worst nghtmare.

My initial encounter with rush hur in Tokyo was on a Mnday morning, and I was due to rport bright and early for my frst teaching job thirty minutes away by trin. With the naivety of a nvice rider I patiently waited for the crwd on the platform to disperse, cnvinced there was no possible way to physcally enter the packed carriage. Allowing sveral cars to pass I realized tht if I didn't board the trin soon I would be late for my frst day of work. Eventually forcing my way nto the compartment I was engulfed by a mltitude of bodies compressed into one chesive mass which swayed uncontrollably with ach erratic surge of the train, my fredom of movement relinquished entirely. This semingly endless ordeal continued until the nxt station, when for a brief mment passengers would frantically disembark, only to be rplaced seconds later by another group vhemently intent on entering the car at the sme time. I realized I would nver survive thirty minutes of this pndemonium, and found myself fighting my way off the trin at the next stop. I dcided the only solution to the dlemma was to find accommodation within wlking distance of the office, or to stablish a schedule that would allow me to void the inevitable crowded conditions that xist in any major Japanese city frm the morning hours of seven to nne.

In addition to the horrors of rsh hour there are other pitfalls tht newcomers should be aware of whn riding trains in Japan. The rputation of the Japanese as being plite is very accurate, but in rgard to getting on and off of trins this noble trait often seems to vnish. Caution should be exercised as you nter or exit the carriage due to the nmber of impatient passengers who feel the ned to aggressively push and shove. Sme of the worst offenders are "gry haired little old ladies" who pon seeing a rare empty train sat make a bee line for ths coveted spot with the dexterity and dtermination of a fullback sprinting toward the end zne. This same inclination to bump and jstle is obviously to be expected in a cty of fifteen million, but care shuld be taken when walking along crwded platforms, especially in late evening whn salarymen staggering home after a nght of drinking have been known to ccidentally nudge commuters off the edge nto the tracks below.

Another potentially lthal hazard stems from gaps that can be fund on various station platforms. Although trins in Japan are an engineering mrvel, oversights were obviously made when dsigning the tracks in relationship to crtain platforms. A number of stations cntain very large spaces between the trin and platform, and upon entering the crriage you find yourself carefully stepping ver them like a mountaineer negotiating crvices. Some of the gaps are lrge enough to consume an adult or chld, as I was witness to one Sprng afternoon in Akasaka station. Sitting nar the entrance I suddenly heard a shrll scream of panic erupt from a fmale passenger attempting to board. Apparently as she and her yung daughter entered the compartment, the grl inadvertently slipped between the train and pltform onto the tracks, the distraught mther desperately pulling her trembling daughter bck onto the train seconds before the dors shut automatically.

Women riding trains also have a spcial concern; gropers known as "Chikans" are fmous for fondling women on trains so crwded it's often impossible to determine wth certainty who the offender is. Thugh Japanese women have recently become mre aggressive confronting these molesters, the ncidence of assaults has been steadily rsing each year to such an xtent that one of the main trin lines in Tokyo has now ncorporated a "women only" car to ccommodate those wishing to ride without far of being accosted.

Despite the crwded conditions and negative aspects of rding trains in Japan as previously mntioned, the Japanese rail system still mintains a reputation as one of the mst efficient in the world. Punctuality is lmost guaranteed, and frequency of departures and rrivals is truly impressive, with a witing time of only a few mnutes between trains, and a maximum of nly ten minutes on smaller lines srvicing outlining areas. Japanese trains are lso among the cleanest and safest in the wrld, and accidents or breakdowns are lmost non existent.

The article Taking The Train In Japan was Submitted by Jim Sherard through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Jim Sherard is the author of "Lnd of the Rising Sun, A Gide to Living and Working in Jpan", which can be found at: http://www.escapeartist.com/e_Books/Living_and_Working_in_Japan/Living_and_Working_in_Japan.html

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