In an attempt to avoid being squashed too much on my first proper working day in Tokyo, I left it until after 9am to get the train into Tokyo. Leaving Ikuta station at 09:15 or so, the local stopping train wasn’t particularly full. As usual I got off the local train at tongue-twisting Mukogaoka-Yuen to pick up one of the faster express services. That arrived on an adjacent platform while the local stopping train was still there but was already pretty full before the group off my train got on to it, and I’d ended up at the back of the queue (see another post I’ll make today for queueing and other etiquette on trains in Tokyo). So, I decided to hop back on the local train and pass one more station up to the easier to pronounce (and remember) Noborito and catch the next express from there, figuring it might be less crowded by then. I could have just waited at Mukogaoka-Yuen, but what the heck. I was nearer the front of the queue at Noborito to get on the next semi-express (between Noborito and Shinjuku the semi-express and the express are identical). This was still pretty crowded but when we got to the next express stop, another tongue-twister – Seijogakuen-Mae, even more people got on and very few got off. It wasn’t quite white-gloves packing people in. As Murata-sensei put it, we could all still breathe. But even so, it was pretty sardine-like in there.

The Chou line from Shinjuku to Ochanomizu wasn’t quite as bad although there was still no chance of a seat. Remembering the advice of Adachi-sensei, my Japanese teacher back in Reading, I made sure I had a book out and held on to the handle or pole above shoulder height with one hand and read my book with the other. Tokyo has a problem with “gropers” on these over-packed railways and Adachi-sensei felt I should always try to be obviously innocent to avoid any difficulties. It’s always easier to blame the outsider, after all.

The trip home this evening was not so bad. But then I made it a short day after sorting out administrivia things mostly and made sure I reached Shinjuku in time to catch a 17:11 train out. Since most Tokyo offices finish no earlier than 17:00 there wasn’t time for that many people to reach Shinjuku. Murata-sensei, who lives close to one of the express stops said that he usually tries to get the train between 21:00 and 22:00. Before 21:00 it’s pretty crowded and after 22:00 there’s too many drunks around.