I’ve been here for a little over a month now. I’m finally feeling like the “honeymoon phase” is now over, I’m no longer just a tourist, but someone who is trying to adjusting to having an everyday life here. While I never was really dazzled or blinded by the “greatness” of Japan (probably because I really feel like I knew what to expect before coming here) during this first period of living in Japan, I really don’t feel like I’m experiencing serious culture shock yet either. It really is more like certain little things I find annoying or difficult to deal with, but it really isn’t anything too serious. That doesn’t mean I won’t experience culture shock later, or that what I feel now isn’t a type or lighter effect per-say of culture shock.
For me, right now, the worst part of my day is having to get up so early. I’m not a morning person, I like staying up late, so I’ve had to adjust to going to bed earlier and also getting up earlier. But what makes my mornings worse is how much I dread the morning rush hour trains. I had the misfortune of having to take a first period class, which means class starts at 9:15am for me. This means that I have to leave my house around 7:35am. morning rush in Japan is usually the worst between 7-9am. Lucky me. My first and last trains really aren’t too bad most days… my first train I’m only one for 4 stops, so around a 10 minute ride. My last train is only one stop, so that is even better. It’s my middle train, and longest ride that really kills me.
This is the Odakyu sen express from Noborito to Shinjuku, this is pretty much what I see everyday on the train.
But please don’t let the soft music and calming scenery fool you, when I ride this train it is usually packed FULL of people, and thus not a very relaxing experience. Also at the end of the video you will get to see parts of the inside Shinjuku station (mostly the lower levels), and let me tell you the person who made this video must have been there at one of those strange and very rare times of the day when Shinjuku isn’t packed full of people because those halls are usually just packed with people everywhere. The Odakyu express for Shinjuku is usually so crowded in the morning when I ride (I usually get on around 8:00am) that there is literally no personal space whatsoever. I never get a seat because the train is usually pretty crowded when I first get on. You kind of just have to ignore the fact that everyone around you is touching you and focus on staying upright. I’m usually pretty good at getting to a spot where I can hold on to one of the handle rings, or bars, probably because I’m tall but I feel sorry for the short people that really can’t hold on to anything when it gets super crowded. It is a really strange atmoshpere to experience too, no one talks… If someone does talk it is disturbing and usually feels very rude… you could be face to face with someone but you sort of just pretend they are not there… everyone is in this zombie sleep state or ACTUALLY sleeping. I’ve started to learn how to sleep, or at least “rest my eyes” while standing up on these trains. Just like the salary/business men do haha. To give you an idea JUST how crowded this train is here is a video of people trying to get on to another train line (not Odakyu) that is pretty similar to what I see in the morning. Yes people actually try to push themselves onto the train. Yes there are actually workers one the platforms whose job is the push people on to the trains and make sure the doors shut properly.
My ride on the Odakyu express is usually about 35-40 minutes and about 4-5 stops. You can now understand why this is the most uncomfortable part of my day. Here is also a video of the Chuo line (my last train), but thankfully I only have to be one this one for one stop.
Thankfully coming home my trains are crowded, but not so crowded that you can breathe. I think yesterday was my worst experience riding the Odakyu express yet because at one point I was wrapped around one of the polls and had the weight of about ten people pushing on me for like 2 or 3 stops, it was really painfully! The trick really is to try to get into the aisles if you can and avoid the door areas because those are where everyone is falling on each other because they can’t hold on. But it’s not always so easy. It’s also sometimes difficult to position myself where I can throw my backpack up on the luggage racks, and then I feel like a jerk for taking up room. But really what can you do? While the streets are also pretty crowded places too, especially the popular areas like Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya, etc. that wasn’t as “shocking” to me because I’ve been in crowded places before while traveling. If you are one of those people who panics, just can stand crowds, or doesn’t like not having personal space, then seriously don’t come to Tokyo because it will be your worst nightmare haha.
