Tokyo is Never Boring: Life on the Trains

I’m sitting on my second floor lanai in Kauai writing this. We bought this house in 2004 as a stopping off point between Tokyo and the US mainland.

It’s just before sunset, my favorite time of day. Greenery and flowers are popping color against the dramatic blue of the ocean beyond. A sharp contrast to the hectic urban streets of Tokyo I have just come from.

There is something about Tokyo that compels most of us to be very serious and work oriented. This was the first trip I stole moments to take photos. Using my iPhone made it easy.

I want to share some of my photos with you here in a few parts. This is Part I.

My overall theme is Tokyo is Never Boring. This has always been true for me. The expats I know who are never bored in Japan enjoy their work, learn the language, take a genuine interest in Japanese culture and business challenges, and are stimulated by the diversity of the foreign community living in Tokyo.

If you’ve not been to Tokyo, you must have a look at the train scenes. Public transportation in Japan is outstanding. It is clean, safe, frequent, well-connected and on-time. During rush hour, it is also crowded.

Japanese men are generally well behaved, at least when they are sober, but somehow the anonymity of the pressing crowd sometimes allows for unwanted physical intrusion. As a result, the Women Only rush hour car was created.

The trains are not always crowded. When it is more relaxed, passengers text message or surf the net from their cell phone, sleep or read. With long commutes and long hours, sleep is a popular option.