"Less Crowded in 2008"

[MrChowTheTroll]

And in Sydney, we bitch about our train being crowded..... which is nowhere worse as this....

[Spokker]

It would seem that if the rail system in Japan pays for itself (100%+ farebox recovery), then they could always add more trains, more tracks and more stations until the problem of overcrowding is eliminated.

If the issue of overcrowding cannot be solve by building additional infrastructure, then it may be time to induce people to move to other areas that are not as crowded.

[lylehsaxon]

@Spokker They're constantly improving the system, and it's gotten a lot better, but moving 30,000,000 people around is a difficult task. As for decentralization - yes - that's definitely a good idea, but the bad economy has only caused Tokyo to grow even more - as bad as the economy is in Tokyo, it's even worse in the countryside, so people come to Tokyo looking for work, etc. - LHS

[Spokker]

@lylehsaxon It seems that you guys have the opposite problem Americans do.

[lylehsaxon]

@Spokker There are several stations where a transfer is just walking across the platform, but in this case, it's just a faster train (Kyuko/Express) passing a slower train (Junkyu/Semi-express). The train on the right is the Express. - LHS

[lylehsaxon]

@lylehsaxon Correction!: The train on the *left* is the express! The one on the right is the Limited Express (Junkyu). - LHS

[lylehsaxon]

@tabrisangel22 Yeah, a lot of transfers are really easy - just walking across the platform. In this case, the train on the left is a regular express and the one on the right is a slower train, but both are headed in the same direction. Some stations have transfers like this where you can transfer to a completely different line. - LHS

[AkibakeiRiE]

from wiki : Tokyo has the most extensive urban railway network in the world. There are 882 interconnected rail stations in the Tokyo Metropolis, 282 of which are Subway stations. There are 30 operators running ''121 passenger rail lines'' (102 serving Tokyo and 19 more serving Greater Tokyo but not Tokyo proper), not including some 12 cable cars. Despite this vastness, the network is ''still being expanded'

[lylehsaxon]

@AkibakeiRiE  Very interesting - but they leave out the one figure that puts it all in perspective: "30,000,000" - the number of people in the greater Tokyo area that the train system serves. It only takes a tiny percentage of 30,000,000 to make a crowd. - LHS

[saintsaens21]

Great videos.

[sstefanos00]

The last guy changes trains when he checks out the asian babe going to the other train! xaxaxa

[KOH0669]

The guy come out from the right train, after saw the girl, he return the train again.

He want pick pocket?

[lylehsaxon]

@KOH0669 - The train on the left is a kyuko (regular express) and the one of the right is a junkyu (slower express) - both going in the same direction. Two of the men who come out of the junkyu give up on the kyuko - apparently not willing to enter the crush. The junkyu gets into Ikebukuro (the train's destination) about... five minutes later than the kyuko I think. - LHS

[clansman89]

@lylehsaxon and they are willing to mess in this crowd because of 5 min?

[lylehsaxon]

@clansman89 If it were only this one train, they probably wouldn't try so hard to get on it, but when you have three or four trains to ride to work, leaving five minutes later on the first train line can cause still more time to be lost with bad connections later, so people try hard to stick to schedules and plans. - LHS

[1290Li]

Some pushing needed.

[lylehsaxon]

@1290Li A little pushing - but only at the front, which is closest to the exit gates which are closer to transfer lines. The people getting on there are probably running late and want to run to the next connection as soon as possible. - LHS

[am1gv]

to catch a train like this is astounding

[lylehsaxon]

@am1gv Well - you get used to it.  I do remember I was very surprised at how crowded some trains got when I first came here though. Also, this train (the Seibu-Ikebukuro Line) is less crowded further back. the front is the most crowded, since it's nearest the exit. - LHS

[madeinar2]

WHy don't they stack them up like sardines in a can?

[lylehsaxon]

@madeinar2 You mean have everyone lie down? I wouldn't want to be on the bottom layer then! This already is basically like sardines in a can ;) - vertical sardines in a can. - LHS

[madeinar2]

@lylehsaxon Lmao or they can make like little racks for each of them to get into.

[paranicoxxx]

live in tokyo must be exhausting LOL

[mast2740]

Surely on time.

The reason is because a train comes every two minutes.

[lylehsaxon]

During the peak rush on the Yamanote Line, there is a train about every two minutes. On the Seibu-Ikebukuro Line (the train in this video), there are not quite that many trains, and not so many express trains (which the crowded train is). The express trains only come once every ten minutes or so. - LHS

[chinesekid05]

it's amazing that even with all these people, japanese trains are usually on time, on the dot.

[lylehsaxon]

It's a good thing they are though, since there are so many people in the greater Tokyo area (30,000,000)! - LHS

[CaptainDaikon]

This station is the station that is stopping

the EXPRESS　train.

Bad,I usualy use Oizumigakuen station that station is the staion is pass the EXPRESS train.

In 2008.06.14, The Fukutoshin line opened.

The COM,SEMI EXPRESS train is non-stop between Oizumigakuen station and Ikebukuro station before this day.

Nerima station ids gained a station that the stop station of COM SEMI EXPESS.

From the day, a commuter train largely largely became the pain.

[gaktkr]

I cant wait until I live in Japan!! Just 7 years and a couple of months :'( I wish it was now...

[lylehsaxon]

Seven years from now? Why seven years? After you finish school I guess? The crowded trains can be (sort of) amusing on occasion, but if you have to ride in a lot of very crowded trains all the time, it's not very fun. It's not so bad, but I'd rather sit down if I could! - LHS

[gaktkr]

Oh hehe I gotta finish school 1 year then

6th form 2 years then university doing aerospace engineering 4 years then training to be a pilot around 1 year so its 8 years I made a mistake sorry. But you are lucky you live in Japan.

[TheTransitCamera]

Meanwhile on the Hiawatha light rail line (Minneapolis, MN) outside of downtown you usually get a seat. Good thing Tokyo didn't subscribe to the whole "lets all get cars" idea.

[lylehsaxon]

Tokyo wouldn't function with only cars. There are 30,000,000 people in the greater Tokyo area (including the suburbs of Kanagawa, Saitama, & Chiba), and even with a superb rail system, the roads are jammed up most of the time. However, the government is currently (stupidly) cutting expressway charges (for intracity travel) though, to encourage more car usage! Stupid, really really stupid, but I guess they're tying to help the car manufacturers sell more cars.... - LHS

[TheTransitCamera]

Yeah that is stupid. Here the typical cycle is "Lets cut the funding for transit" then routes have to be cut back and new projects delayed, so they say "Hey, transit ridership is down so lets cut funding back some more". Ugh :((

[lylehsaxon]

The system in Tokyo has never stopped growing fortunately. At the end of WW-II in 1945, there was one subway line (and many surface lines of course, but mostly streetcars in the central area), and now there are are.... 12 or 13 lines, and they're still tunneling and building new stations, etc. It's a pretty incredible system. Out in the countryside though, some places are pretty much the saame as the US, with everyone relying on cars.... - LHS

[sammydenyc]

What is Flex-Time?

[lylehsaxon]

Flex-time is when the company allows you to come to work between (for example) 8:00 and 11:00, instead of insisting that everyone come at exactly the same time, usually 9:00 a.m. - LHS

[TheNobody1997]

the trains there sounds almost like the trains here in singapore and you call that less crowded?!

[lylehsaxon]

Less crowded than in 1991 (see "Actually Full train in 1991 (Why Flex-Time is a Good Idea")!) Also it's only that crowded at the front of this line (the Seibu-Ikebukuro Line). - LHS

[00G6]

早起きすればいいのに出来ない。

[lylehsaxon]

そうなんですよね。 必ず早く寝るなら早く起きるかも知れないけど、なかなか...

[yggdrssil00]

don't they know how to drive a car?

[lylehsaxon]

A lot of people do, but with 30,000,000 people in the greater Tokyo area, there wouldn't be anywhere for them to park the car if they drove it. Also, it would take about three or four hours to get to work, instead of 35-55 minutes, which is the case for most of these riders. - LHS

[yggdrssil00]

30,000,000 people!!? in tokyo only!? that's crazy! that's more than the population of my country (malaysia 28,000,000)

[lylehsaxon]

Just the central area of Tokyo is about 12,000,000 I think, but if you include the suburbs of Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba, it's 30,000,000 (the total population of the while country is over 100,000,000). There are soooo many people in Tokyo! - LHS

[yggdrssil00]

what!!? 12,000,000!!? whoa! that's six times than the population of KL, whow! can't even imagine

if my family from 9 become 54 ( 9 x 6 ),

tokyo must be a very big city, like 10 times than KL. that's interesting,

[scarecrowJ89]

oh, there was even some space left for another passenger^^

[lylehsaxon]

Yeah... but notice how this is just at the front of the train. People who are running late want to get on there, because the front of this line (the Seibu-Ikebukuro Line) is closest to the ticket gates and so people can transfer more quickly to their next train. - LHS

[narutostranger]

and thats is supose to be less crowded ?

[lylehsaxon]

Sure! Have a look at my "Actually Full Train in 1991" video. *That's* crowded! This and that video were taken at the same spot at the same station at the same time of morning (about 7:50 a.m.). It's a lot less crowded in 2008 than it was in 1991. - LHS

[t5e2]

is it common for females to get molested by touchy perverts? or do they offer female only train?

[lylehsaxon]

It used to be a problem, but then they passed strict new laws that have put men in jail. The only problem is that sometimes, when it's very very crowded, people can make mistakes about who did what, so sometimes innocent people end up in jail. There is typically one Women Only car in the mornings, and sometimes late at night. Recently some men are saying it would be good to separate the sexes completely to prevent innocent people landing in jail. - LHS

[clubpenguin777]

why dont they just get the next one?

[lylehsaxon]

Some do - like that guy in the hat - instead of trying really hard to get on, he gives up and takes the next train - the one on the right. The people who try hardest to get on the train probably are running a tight schedule, and if they don't get on that train, they''ll be late for work, etc. - LHS

[machi42]

@clubpenguin777 The next one is as crowded as this one.

[lylehsaxon]

@machi42 But mostly crowded at the front - nearest the exit gates, and it's much less crowded than it was 20 years ago.... - LHS

[themoaspecial]

@clubpenguin777 All I can say as a Tokyo resident is hardly anyone is willing to get the next one during morning rush hour.

[lylehsaxon]

@themoaspecial  True - although with flex-time, some people don't mind waiting a little. There was almost no flex-time in 1991 though, so it was even more intense than it is now. LHS

[themoaspecial]

@lylehsaxon Haha its still pretty intense in the mornings though. At least my home line (Keio Line) is anyway. However according to Wikipedia the Keio Line is Japan's most busy private line.

[lylehsaxon]

@themoaspecial I didn't know that. I've never lived on the Keio Line, but when I was on the Seibu-Ikebukuro Line, I used to wish I was on the Keio Line, since I often needed to go to Shinjuku, liked visiting Takao in the summer, and liked the fast trains of the Keio Line (they run wider gauge tracks than most of the other lines and quick expresses). - LHS

[Kreicherisch]

@clubpenguin777 I guess the next one was gonna be that packed too, and they had to get to work on time. Being late for 1 minute is very very morally wrong for Japanese people.

[lylehsaxon]

@Kreicherisch I'm not sure I'd say "morally" wrong, but companies can be very strict, and people are expected to be on time. - LHS

[azumatify]

@clubpenguin777 to a Tokyoite, 3 minutes of idleness is eternity.

[leon6266]

lol noway i will ride a train if i visit japan :P

[BroodingARTist]

i could never be on that train..or any train in japan.i'm waaaaay too claustiphobic...i'd be freakin out,panic attacks,etc.

[lylehsaxon]

You could always stick to the reserved seat trains, in which case nobody stands and everyone has a seat. And - after a bit of research or talking it over with someone very familiar with the train system here, you could avoid the lines that tend to be crowded all the time, and (very important) avoid morning and evening rush times on the commuter lines that run from central Tokyo into the 'burbs (the train in this video is a 'Burbs Express). - LHS

[mimimikitty]

これはひばりが丘かどこかですか（西武池袋線？）？

込み具合は昔と大手企業がフレックス導入した今を比較しても、あ­まり変わってないと思いますね。

いずれにしても、この光景が「普通」なので

なんとも思いません

上の皆さんの驚いているようなレスに驚きました＾＾；

[lylehsaxon]

Yes, well, this is very peak of the rush, so the earlier and later are not as crowded. Also, the reason so many people want to get on at the front is due to the Seibu-Ikebukuro Line's inconvenient location in Ikebukuro. The front of the train is the closest to JR... - LHS

[envisionpower]

WOW !

[kantarell18]

i wouldnt wanna be a tourist with glasses in that crowd.

[lylehsaxon]

I hadn't thought of that... but now that you mention it, you don't see many people wearing glasses on the crush-rush trains. I always figured that contact lenses were popular just for cosmetic reasons, but yeah, you wouldn't want to wear glasses in the middle of that. In fact - that's one reason I listen to audio books on the train instead of attempting to read. - LHS

[0p3r4t0r]

that's still pretty damn crowded for 2008..

[lylehsaxon]

Yeah, but only at the very front of the train, which is nearest the exit gates in Ikebukuro. - LHS

[sumerates]

i hope those pushers not will be unemployment

[lylehsaxon]

The people hired to push are usually university students doing it as a part-time job. In this video, the two guys in short-sleeve shirts are the drivers of the two trains, and the guy who comes running up is a regular employee - not there specifically to push. - LHS

[sumerates]

man its ok we all know that tokyo is a highly developed city its just a crowded there is a much much worse cities for example 15 million ppl in istanbul where i live and subway is like 6-7 km rofl

[lylehsaxon]

That's one thing about Tokyo - for about 60 years now, they have never stopped building new subways! in 1950, there was one subway, now there are... I'm not even sure, I think about ten lines. There are 30,000,000 people in the greater Tokyo area (including Kanagawa, Chiba, & Saitama), and too many of them come into central Tokyo every day! - LHS

[pigeonpsycho]

complete sheep. They should be protesting what their taxes are being spent on.

[lylehsaxon]

That's a private railway line (the Seibu-Ikebukuro Line) run by the Seibu Corporation. The Seibu Corporation has been notorious as being penny-pinching and slow to construct new rails (in comparison to the to other private lines in Tokyo). As for the riders being sheep - more like tigers dude! You should see how hard people try to get on the train when it's the last one for the night! - LHS

[benjiskhan]

It's surely not as crowded as the train in the '91 video, but they still got to push people in... I don't know, but for me that's crowded.

I live in Chile, and in our capital the subway have started to get crowded over the last two years due to a new transport plan (wich SUCKS) that makes everyone more subway-dependant. So I wouldn't be surprised to see some pushing in a few years (but as for now, I think the "pushers" would only get punched in the face)

[lylehsaxon]

There are a lot of trains in Tokyo, and they keep building news lines (there are around 12 subway lines here now, maybe more), but there are so many people on the system (30,000,000 in the metropolitan Tokyo area), that most lines are crowded (sometimes extremely crowded) most of the time. - LHS

[Tc4051]

I see some people are going back to the local or semi express service train.

[lylehsaxon]

Yes - with flex time and more train, people don't try quite so hard to get onto very full trains now. - LHS

[Biglele208]

The trains look newer

[lylehsaxon]

Yes - the trains in the 1991 video ("Actually Full Train in 1991 (Why Flex-time is a Good Idea") were retired on this line (the Seibu-Ikebukuro Line). The older type had three doors (per side) per car, the new type has four. On some of the Yamanote Line trains, it's six. - LHS

[Biglele208]

Not much of pushing

[lylehsaxon]

Right! Many companies have flex time and also there are more trains, so there are fewer people competing for space on the same trains, and when they're crowded, they don't mind letting one or two go so they can get on a less crowded one. Not the same as 1991! I often suffered in that train in 1991! It's still crowded in the morning, but much less than before. - LHS

[Biglele208]

Wait you get off a train at a station and immediately get on another docked there?

[lylehsaxon]

Sometimes, yeah - I've got a view of that at 0:17 in my "Visiting Mt. Takao by Train & Cablecar" video. Sometimes one train it at the end of the line and a local train continues the journey, and sometimes the line splits, with one train going one way and the other train heading off into another direction. In the case of this video, the train on the left is passing the train on the right - dual-track line, four-track station for passing. - LHS

[jamie232005]

even if you did get a seat you would have to push every body of the train just to get out, so in other words better to be near the door's.

[lylehsaxon]

Yeah - but once you know the system, you know which stations you have to be careful about. For example, if you're getting off of Shinjuku on the Chuo Line (the line is this video is the Seibu-Ikebukuro Line BTW), then it doesn't matter how crowded it is or where you are in the train, so many people get off in Shinjuku that you can always get off without too much trouble. Anyway - just saying "Orimasu! Orimasu!" and pushing towards the door usually is enough for people to make way. - LHS

[n0eb2002]

the Japanese really value every bit of space..still, a big improvement since 1991

[lylehsaxon]

They have increased the number of trains (including some new lines) and flex-time takes the pressure off of having to be on a particular train. Also, people don't try as hard to get on anyway - notice how easily that one guy gives up and gets on the other train. - LHS

[soto5655]

look at all those TUXEDOS = rich side of train station

[lylehsaxon]

Just regular suits I think, but yeah - the dress code is stricter in Japan than in the US. - LHS

[jimelek]

I like how the one woman squeezes herself on at one point.

What's with the two guys who go back to the train they just got off of?

[lylehsaxon]

Both trains are going in the same direction - the one on the left is a kyuko (express) and the one on the right is a junkyu (limited express or sub-express). They didn't want the extra speed of the express badly enough to force their way on, so they went back to the junkyu. Also, I think they probably walked through the junkyu to get to the back of the kyuko line in the first place, since the platform was full. People don't tray as hard as they used to get on. - LHS

[devilaces]

wow. and to think i considered the busses in my area to be crouded... we don't even have professional buss stuffers here.

what happens if a fat women has to get stuffed in, do they used some kind of giant ram rod?

[lylehsaxon]

Fortunately, not many people here are grossly overweight - which is a good thing! If they were, then fewer people could get on the trains! By the way, the two guys pushing in this video are the drivers of the two trains you can see. - LHS

[RoninDave]

thank god I walk to work! Still it's better now that it was when I first got here 6 years ago.

[lylehsaxon]

It must be nice to be able to get to work without setting foot on a train! Of course some trains are better than others. The 'Burbs Express trains can be pretty intense! - LHS

[Xaphirezst]

Which train line is this, actually?

[lylehsaxon]

It's the Seibu-Ikebukuro Line (in Tokyo). - LHS

[sarzamineiran]

I feel bad for the guy in the white, he couldn't get on

[lylehsaxon]

It's true - I've been in that situation myself. The train may be a sardine run, but missing it and then having to deal with being late to work is worse - or was. With flex-time, it's no big deal. - LHS

[sarzamineiran]

I can imagine how confusing the train lines must be, seeing how many Japan has. In Toronto, we have only one North/South line and 2 East/West lines.

[lylehsaxon]

The first subway built in Tokay was opened in 1928 (the Ginza Line), and that was the only subway until after WW-II, but since then, they've never stopped tunneling. Some of the stations on one of the newest lines (the Oedo Line) are so deep after running under all the other lines, that it takes quite a while to get back up to the surface of the earth after going through the ticket gates. There are computer programs to help figure out the best route to a destination. - LHS

[pmlsantos]

guards*

[lylehsaxon]

No - those are the drivers of the two trains stopped there! (Kyuko on the left and Junkyu on the right.) The guy that comes running down the platform is a general station employee. Lately there are guards in many buildings and here and there at stations (post 911), but there are no guards in this video. - LHS

[pmlsantos]

The guars are training to be American football players :)

[lylehsaxon]

Just noticed that the "guards" part belongs with this comment! Ha-Ha! Yeah! It does look like American football, doesn't it! But again, those are the drivers! Watch it closely and you can see that the one guy comes from the cab of the train that just stopped and is stepping back into the cab just as the video ends. - LHS

[4dville]

Lol cool.

[4dville]

Lol I take the subway and the PATH train in New Jersey and New York and it's often crammed, but never has it been crowded like this. Those people have absolute zero dick room.

[lylehsaxon]

The strange thing, is that sometimes the jam-packed rides with six or seven people pressed up against you (I know, it doesn't sound possible, but it is, believe me, I count), create less tension than rides where you *almost* have enough room not to be touching anyone. When you *almost* have enough room, but not quite, people get irritated at the lack of space that they almost have. When you're a full-fledged sardine, you just wait for the doors to open again. - LHS

[Brinah]

sheeeit tell me about it! I take it daily for the trek to the city! ugh!

[lylehsaxon]

Are the New York trains about the same as the train in this video? - LHS

[Brinah]

when its packed minus the professional pushers? Hell yeah! Btw I started to feel sorry for the computers being crammed in the 1991 video! Dont ask me why LOL!

[lylehsaxon]

In this video, the two men are the drivers of the two trains and the other guy is a general station employee - actually there no professional pushers in this one. That's a bit of a misunderstanding actually - they sometimes hire college students to help out in the morning, but not as often as before. - LHS

[Brinah]

i'm sorry but i meant 'commuters'! lol

[crackatit]

LOL. And I had complaints I cant have seat at rush hours.

[lylehsaxon]

Oh yeah, you can NEVER sit down during rush hour (unless you get in line at the first stop for that line or are lucky enough to stand in front of someone who gets off mid-way down the line). So, 2008 is less crowded during rush hour than 1991, but still crowded! - LHS

[mlps93]

That only occurs in Hong Kong when a typhoon is expected hit and a high warning will be hosted. At that pooint they will use clubs and sticks to shove people in.

[lylehsaxon]

People don't try as hard as before to get onto a full train, but still it's a daily activity to have to push to force yourself onto a train. Since they are all crowded, if you don't want to ride in a crowded train, you're only option to walk to ride a bicycle. LHS

[ElectricPup]

Atleast it isn't like 1991.

[lylehsaxon]

Yeah - they increased the number of trains and also there is flex-time at companies now. - LHS

[ElectricPup]

Oh that's good :)

[tmdqs]

o wow~ that's interesting..but funny thing how ppl can endure 20 min in situation like this..especially i heard some jap ppl are crazy about their hair and looks n stuff..wounldn't rides like these totally mess up their appearance?? lol~~

[lylehsaxon]

A lot of trains have a women-only car for a couple of hours in the morning. Also, if you ride off peak (earlier or later), the trains are less crowded. - LHS

[YoungOffender82]

thanks for this one ... but yeah still not nice to see for someone from such a smalltown like my one ;)

[lylehsaxon]

Yeah, it's not fun. If you can start work either at 7:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. you can beat the worst part of the crowds by going in to work either early or late. - LHS

[erne24]

there´s still pushing involved XD

[lylehsaxon]

Yeah - I didn't say "not crowded", just "less crowded"! They're still not fun to ride on during the morning and evening crush-rush times. But at least they're usually not "painfully crowded"! - LHS

[lylehsaxon]

Agggghhh! The "Remove" tab is too close to the "Reply" and since they both start with "Re..." I accidentally deleted the message I wanted to reply to. There was a comment about people being asleep - yeah! Part of life in Tokyo is getting by on 4-5 hours sleep a night, so whenever you get quiet moment in a seat (not so often for most of us!), it's really easy to fall asleep! - LHS

[burlingk]

One thing to consider about those lines now, is that the trains run every two minutes during rush hour. :) A lot of Japanese people leave their homes a few minutes early any way, and if you have to catch the next train, it only adds a few minutes to the trip. Been in Japan for almost four years now myself.

[lylehsaxon]

The Yamanote Line runs one every two minutes, but that video is of an express train on the Seibu-Ikebukuro Line, and the next express isn't for about fifteen minutes - which is why people try fairly hard to get on that one (not as hard as in 1991 though!). The train on the other side of the platform is a junkyu - that leaves about a minute after the express, but it stops at more stations.  What train lines do you use mostly? - R

[Modeltrainguy]

WOW! O__O The feeling is 'almost the same as previous train pusher videos' for the first few moments of the video. I like how the guy decided to board the other train. The sound near the end...it's as IF it's the train saying "Whew!" when the doors close! CLASSIC Video! Thanks for a 'Great Follow-up'! ^__^ "One Thing About Trains.....It Doesn't Matter Where They Are Going. What Matters Is Deciding To Get On." - Tom Hanks (Voice of "The Conductor" in 'The Polar Express')

[lylehsaxon]

People don't try as hard to get on crowded trains as they used to. Basically, I think it's mainly due to flex time - if the company doesn't care if you're ten to fifteen minutes late (so long as you make up that time later that is!), they why work overly hard to become a sardine? Anyway, I'm glad you liked the follow-up - that was taken at the same time in the morning, of an express train, the same as the one I took in 1991. - LHS

[pal2011]

they STILL need more trains. the day the pushers are out of a job they'll have enough.

[lylehsaxon]

Actually, those guys aren't pushers - they're the driver's of the two trains! The guy on the platform that comes running up is a general station employee. Out of dozens of trains in the morning rush, I think that might have been the only one that needed some pushing to get the doors closed - that's the last express that will get people to work by 9:00 a.m. Earlier and later than that, it's less crowded. - LHS

[lylehsaxon]

About increasing trains. Tokyo has been steadily increasing the number of trains for about 60 years now. In 1948, there was one subway line, now there are about 14 lines and they are still building more! So it's not for lack of effort, as vast sums of money are continually being poured into the system. And in spite of the huge numbers of riders, it runs on-time almost all the time. - LHS

[danielpaco2000]

Thanks for your reply :)

I have no doubt the good people manners of the new generation, and a tremendous amount of tolerance, in particular. I do not object it is a big challenge knowing the fact how centric is Tokyo. But why do most travellers have to go to Tokyo for work?? Why not share the development with other cities and neighbouring provinces??

[lylehsaxon]

You're right, they really should do something to decentralize the country - just about everything is in Tokyo at the same time small towns are dieing because all the young people leave them for Tokyo! But this is where the best schools, best hospitals, best jobs, etc. etc. are, so it's not easy to leave. They've considered that on and off over the years though... - LHS

[fcfhkmelb]

Decentralising the city will raise many other problems - decline in public transport use and removal of many natural habitats, like what the US has done over the past 50 years.

I think the crowding situation in 2008 is acceptable. Actually Greater Tokyo already has three sub-CBDs, Yokohama, Chiba and Omiya. Further decentralising Tokyo is non-sense.

[lylehsaxon]

Yeah... well... as it is, small towns are vanishing - it wouldn't hurt to have a little decentralizing. The old everything must be in Tokyo, Kanagawa (of which Yokohama is a part), Chiba, and Saitama (of which Omiya is a part... well, actually Omiya and a few other cities in Saitama have been combined into Saitama City in Saitama Prefecture) will be a big problem with the next large earthquake hits Tokyo. - LHS

[avalino79]

is that one of the direct results of human polulation growth out numbering the cities ability to extend a little? I mean urban sprawl isn't a bad idea. i first heard it in sociology but i never cared to ponder what if it all remained centralized, if those places we know as urban but sub, ya kno suburbs were never given the proper chance to ever grow from that. i fully understand ur point on the small towns (within 100 mile radious) cause they will pass up these same suburbs to go str8 2d city

[fcfhkmelb]

"Tokyo has been steadily increasing the number of trains for about 60 years now."

We, ignorant western people, can never understand why Tokyo trains are so crowded because we don't know what is population density.

[lylehsaxon]

30,000,000 people - it is a lot! But they really should do something like let more people do part of the workweek from home - now that everyone has at least one computer. - LHS

[TheTransitCamera]

I was talking to a woman in my one of my classes last year and she was really impressed with how well the Tokyo subway system is run. Then she was shocked by how here in the US it's all cars with limited transit service.

[lylehsaxon]

Was she from the US originally? I guess she could be. I grew up with transportation meaning almost 100% cars, and then I lived in San Francisco for a couple of years with no car (and no need for one), and when I revisited Sacramento, I remember it seemed really odd to me that there was so little public transport there - and I used to live there, so I should have known as well as anyone. - LHS

[TheTransitCamera]

IIRC she was originally from England, I'm not sure though.

[danielpaco2000]

It is still too crowded. I feel bad for the people having to travel to work like this, it is suffocating inside, and dangerous too, needless to say to space. How about seniors and children? Can't the government provide more trains to balance with the traffic??

[lylehsaxon]

The thing is, there are about 2,500,000 people that pour into Tokyo every morning and then those same 2,500,000 people flow back out in the evening. The morning is worse because everyone is riding at around the same time. Old people generally avoid this by not riding the trains in the peak hours, but people will usually give an old person a seat if they notice them. Also, by getting on a local (slow) train (the video train is an express), it's less crowded. - LHS

[INEAS]

yes, it is less crowded than the other clip of 1991. But the other clip unfortunately has been roaming around the Internet for a while and has created a serious misunderstanding. That is why they must be removed.

[lylehsaxon]

I've been trying to, but it seems to have gone everywhere. That's why I put up a modern view - I think it's the most effective way of showing how it is now. The old view is real though - I used to ride that line every day and I had to force my way on (or be forced on). That's just the truth. It's not fiction. What is fiction is all the junk text people have been posting that video with, saying the station men are police, etc.... - LHS

[ssjx]

it's not like it 'must' be removed; i believe it's a good indication on how japan has improved its train system. It is more of a matter of re-educating people.