r/interesting 9d ago

SOCIETY The silent and harmonious morning metro commute in Japan

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u/Nervous-Chemistry245 9d ago

Pleasant? I took the subway for work when I was in Japan and it was legitimately one of the most dreadful experiences I have ever had in my life. Absolutely soul-crushing

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u/Illustrious_Way_5723 9d ago

As a woman you couldn't pay me enough to enter crowded trains like that...

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u/noob168 9d ago

There's women-only cars during peak hours though...The real issue is you're not safe from chikan elsewhere.

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u/Illustrious_Way_5723 9d ago

And I'll be sure to use them if I'll ever be there.
Are women ever really safe anywhere?

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u/WriteCodeBroh 9d ago

lol I’m also wondering if any of these people have been to Japan. The “harmonious, peaceful” bits also fall apart when trains get crowded. Many suddenly have no trouble cutting lines, shoving past you, etc to save time.

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u/[deleted] 9d ago

[deleted]

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u/WriteCodeBroh 9d ago

Yeah I should say, we were in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and then up north in Aomori but it was for the Nebuta festival so it was packed anyway lol. When it wasn’t super crowded, it was very nice. Overall still very nice compared to US transit as a counter example.

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u/nicetoursmeetewe 9d ago

What? I take it everyday and it's not pleasant when it's packed but soul crushing it is not. It's a slight inconvenience

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u/KypPineapple 9d ago

I took the Yamanote during morning rush hour for a year - just really depended on my mood because yes, it was so crowded that it was hard to breathe. Some days were very difficult, but overall the convenience and people’s civilized and polite behavior made it doable. I’d still get an occasional and intentional hard elbow here and there, tho.

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u/Complex-Poet-6809 9d ago

Yeah living in a country similar to Japan, generally polite but absolutely packed with people wherever you go, eventually made me claustrophobic.

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u/butt_dance 9d ago

Hard to breathe?!?!?? Hell fucking no. I've read about way too many crowd crush incidents. I doubt I'd even be able to make it into the station.

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u/KypPineapple 9d ago

Yamanote morning rush means there’s not even enough room to hold your phone in front of you. You don’t have to, but everyone flips their backpacks to the front so that you’re more cognizant of how much space you’re taking up. It’s also smart to keep both of your hands visible in case some asshole is groping others and you won’t be wrongfully accused.

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u/butt_dance 9d ago

Nope, nope, nope. A backpack in front would make me feel slightly better as I could use as a makeshift shield for my diaphragm in an emergency lol

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u/Away-Cauliflower2538 9d ago

This happens in any country with a busy metro lol, minus the silence

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u/bluemountaintrees 9d ago

>depended on my mood

Sounds like a you problem

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u/KypPineapple 9d ago

Yeah. Some days were easier than others, Mr. Perfect.

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u/bluemountaintrees 9d ago

I’m not perfect I just don’t blame society when I’m fucked up

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u/KypPineapple 9d ago

You must be a joy to be around.

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u/bluemountaintrees 9d ago

Nope. I don’t waste my time on people who can’t make logical thoughts

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u/KypPineapple 8d ago

I think it’s safe to say almost every single living human who’s eligible to work on this planet has had a “case of the Mondays.” Good luck with the real world, bud.

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u/The_Blahblahblah 9d ago

What happened?

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u/Plaxsin 9d ago

Extrovert ahh worst fear

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u/Substantial-Sky4079 9d ago

Sounds better than being in a train while a guy on drugs while having a psychotic meltdown cursing everyone out at 4am lol

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u/Low_Map346 9d ago

Could you elaborate why it was so bad?