| For new arrivals in Japan riding trains
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| | determination of a fullback sprinting
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| quickly becomes a necessity of life.
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| | toward the end zone. This same
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| Taking on the challenge of a crowded
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| | inclination to bump and jostle is
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| morning rush hour train is a right of
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| | obviously to be expected in a city of
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| passage, and foreigners who pass this
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| | fifteen million, but care should be taken
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| grueling test are promoted to the ranks
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| | when walking along crowded platforms,
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| of those tenacious individuals able to
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| | especially in late evening when salarymen
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| adapt to this country's major form of
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| | staggering home after a night of drinking
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| transportation. Scenes viewed on
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| | have been known to accidentally nudge
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| television or in magazines of white
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| | commuters off the edge onto the tracks
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| gloved conductors pushing throngs of
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| | below.
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| commuters into crammed compartments are
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| | Another potentially lethal hazard stems
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| unfortunately a reality, and anyone bold
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| | from gaps that can be found on various
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| enough to literally jump into this melee
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| | station platforms. Although trains in
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| will experience the claustrophobic's
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| | Japan are an engineering marvel,
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| worst nightmare.
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| | oversights were obviously made when
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| My initial encounter with rush hour in
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| | designing the tracks in relationship to
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| Tokyo was on a Monday morning, and I was
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| | certain platforms. A number of stations
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| due to report bright and early for my
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| | contain very large spaces between the
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| first teaching job thirty minutes away by
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| | train and platform, and upon entering the
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| train. With the naivety of a novice rider
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| | carriage you find yourself carefully
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| I patiently waited for the crowd on the
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| | stepping over them like a mountaineer
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| platform to disperse, convinced there was
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| | negotiating crevices. Some of the gaps
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| no possible way to physically enter the
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| | are large enough to consume an adult or
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| packed carriage. Allowing several cars to
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| | child, as I was witness to one Spring
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| pass I realized that if I didn't board
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| | afternoon in Akasaka station. Sitting
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| the train soon I would be late for my
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| | near the entrance I suddenly heard a
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| first day of work. Eventually forcing my
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| | shrill scream of panic erupt from a
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| way into the compartment I was engulfed
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| | female passenger attempting to board.
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| by a multitude of bodies compressed into
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| | Apparently as she and her young daughter
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| one cohesive mass which swayed
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| | entered the compartment, the girl
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| uncontrollably with each erratic surge of
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| | inadvertently slipped between the train
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| the train, my freedom of movement
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| | and platform onto the tracks, the
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| relinquished entirely. This seemingly
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| | distraught mother desperately pulling her
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| endless ordeal continued until the next
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| | trembling daughter back onto the train
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| station, when for a brief moment
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| | seconds before the doors shut
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| passengers would frantically disembark,
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| | automatically.
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| only to be replaced seconds later by
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| | Women riding trains also have a special
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| another group vehemently intent on
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| | concern; gropers known as "Chikans" are
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| entering the car at the same time. I
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| | famous for fondling women on trains so
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| realized I would never survive thirty
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| | crowded it's often impossible to
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| minutes of this pandemonium, and found
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| | determine with certainty who the offender
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| myself fighting my way off the train at
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| | is. Though Japanese women have recently
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| the next stop. I decided the only
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| | become more aggressive confronting these
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| solution to the dilemma was to find
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| | molesters, the incidence of assaults has
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| accommodation within walking distance of
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| | been steadily rising each year to such an
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| the office, or to establish a schedule
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| | extent that one of the main train lines
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| that would allow me to avoid the
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| | in Tokyo has now incorporated a "women
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| inevitable crowded conditions that exist
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| | only" car to accommodate those wishing to
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| in any major Japanese city from the
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| | ride without fear of being accosted.
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| morning hours of seven to nine.
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| | Despite the crowded conditions and
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| In addition to the horrors of rush hour
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| | negative aspects of riding trains in
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| there are other pitfalls that newcomers
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| | Japan as previously mentioned, the
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| should be aware of when riding trains in
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| | Japanese rail system still maintains a
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| Japan. The reputation of the Japanese as
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| | reputation as one of the most efficient
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| being polite is very accurate, but in
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| | in the world. Punctuality is almost
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| regard to getting on and off of trains
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| | guaranteed, and frequency of departures
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| this noble trait often seems to vanish.
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| | and arrivals is truly impressive, with a
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| Caution should be exercised as you enter
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| | waiting time of only a few minutes
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| or exit the carriage due to the number of
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| | between trains, and a maximum of only ten
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| impatient passengers who feel the need to
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| | minutes on smaller lines servicing
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| aggressively push and shove. Some of the
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| | outlining areas. Japanese trains are also
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| worst offenders are "gray haired little
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| | among the cleanest and safest in the
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| old ladies" who upon seeing a rare empty
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| | world, and accidents or breakdowns are
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| train seat make a bee line for this
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| | almost non existent.
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| coveted spot with the dexterity and
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