Japan is Really Over Populated

Japan is has too many people for it's size. The streets are really crowded and you won't like the smell - there is no such thing as no smoking. You can't swim in  the water because it's way too polluted. Trying to travel in a train is not recommended. To get in the train people stuff the passengers in and then close the doors.

Would you like to tour Japan after reading this?

The Cramped Routine

I have a lot of experience with cramped places. On the subway, in line for food, or even at home waiting to use the bathroom. The worst place that I know is when I go to the trains on the way to work. If you don't already know the trains in Japan especially in the morning are packed. There are some moments when I feel like the whole world is trying to fit inside one compartment. You will feel like your rammed together by to angry bulls. People in America are all like "Oh the traffic on highway 59 was brutal". Man, I wish I could trade places with those people. Not to mention the fact that we have wave pools that feel like your in a public toilet. Would you be able to trade places with me?

Excuse me!

 I will be sharing with you how cramped it is on the trains in the morning in Tokyo. Imagine being pushed on a train just so the doors can close. Being cramped for probably more five mins. If you live in Tokyo, you probably have to live with that everyday. What if you are traveling and you have family with your suit cases? You wouldn't want to be separated from them and your suitcases wouldn't fit! I don't know about you but I wouldn't want to so close to people, especially if they are sick, or maybe they haven't showered in a while. Would you want to be cramped on a train with that many people?

A Day in the Life of Me

I’m just an ordinary person that lives in Sapporo. Usually I spend my time in Odori Park to run and play soccer. I get annoyed and mad sometime because I have to walk home and it's really busy. I was walking and then something landed on my head, it was rain because of the climate that Japan has. I was running for some cover but then the rain started to stop. I was so soaked!!! I didn’t like that and I was still kinda far from home. Now I learned my lesson I think. I should take the train instead of walking. When I got home I changed my clothes and sat down and watched some soccer on ESPN. My friend invited me to come play soccer with him and we went to the Yoshino-Kumano National Park. After that I went to the city to hang with other friends, we had so much fun. We went to bars and restaurants and we got a cab because we were drunk. When I got home I went to sleep to be ready for work on monday. If you came to Japan to visit what would you do?

It's A Small (and Cramped) World After All

Through my personal experience in crowded areas, when I go to the subway, it’s usually not all that crowded. But there’s those instances where the whole world is unleashed and floods into the train like water, seeping into every crack possible, every point where there is a millimeter of room. It’s at those instances that it seems like Japan. In Japan though, things are a lot worse. Everybody squeezes in roughly, like trying to fit as much cargo on a ship. More people rush to get in desperately, but there is no more space. Everybody is touching shoulder to shoulder. We can at least fit another right? So another person steps aboard, and wins himself his own place on the train. And another and another. Then the amount is so ridiculous that people start hanging out of the train, signaling the beginning of the pushing of people. Typical. They are so helpless, with no return once they step on. They can’t get late to work, after all. But the people inside probably already had enough. Why put up with even more people? This is already as tight as a can of sardines! Of course, in Japan, you have to deal with it. So the people dangling outside fit in like the final puzzle piece with one shove, and the train doors close. If I were there, I would probably have an instinct to squirm panickedly. I’m not really comfortable with human contact, and that is unavoidable in Japan. There is nowhere to turn, you are fixed in one position, just like everyone else. The train is heavy with the scent of… people. Not only is this super uncomfortable, these crowded areas are breeding grounds for pickpocket incidents. Well, unless the pickpocketer can’t even move his arm, haha. Anyways, when everyone is all huddled in one train like penguins trying to shield themselves from the cruel antarctic weather, it’s easy for someone to just push on you and skillfully pick out your wallet. And the next time you go fishing in your pocket, to your dismay your wallet’s been replaced by a ball of newspapers. What’s the headline for today?

The next stop usually sends a feeling of relief, but sometimes that doesn’t last long. More people could possibly be shoved in. And of course, everyone goes at once. There’s always those more popular stops where tons of people burst out. You get to enjoy the empty space either way, going outside or staying in the train.  

You know when there is a big population, there’s a reminder everywhere. The snaking lines, the crowding people pushing, without care of personal space, and breathing in the smoke produced by the teamwork of people sucking on cigarettes contentedly. When I tossed my iced tea plastic bottle into the recycle bin, (which was just as disgusting as the garbage can next to it, with “recyclable” things) a person ran over while saying “Nononononononononono!” I must’ve been completely oblivious to this, but I did notice him reluctantly sticking his hand into the hole of the recycle bin, and then fishing it out, desperate for the meager coins it provided for him. Another factor of overpopulation? Well, there’s another example of a factor of overpopulation in Japan, since in Japan, they don’t even have room for actual hotels. Their solution was not very comfortable, but convenient in terms of space used, as well as money. Capsule hotels. It’s just that if you’re claustrophobic then capsule hotels won’t work out for you. I thought the idea of being in a capsule hotel was alright, for one night. I would still be rather annoyed at the tiny amount of privacy and space provided, but I think I could deal with it for a day. Also, I wonder what situation Japan is in that caused them to set up capsule hotels. I mean, when we were in Yellow Mountain there were people that had to practically haul up all the products we bought on the mountain, and we still got an “OK” hotel room. But in Japan where there’s those gigantic cities…? I guess that overpopulation does become a big problem, when you compare it that way.

It’s actually really a small world after all. At least, for our human population.  

Japan get your population under control.

So when I look at this picture I think are these people having fun or being tortured? I personally would hate this it is so crowded how would they even breath? I mean like Japan has so many population problems I wonder how there economy is even still alive. And if you think it's not that bad just look and the picture and tell me if you can see any water. Also what’s with the people with the tube like there wasn’t enough space already to bring a tube and take up even more space. I am surprised they can even breath. Honestly ok so lets be serious just for one second, I know it will be hard, but how do they breath, seriously like they could be swished under the water and no one will ever know people will be like “ohh look another dead guy too bad that’s the 53 this week but whatever.” Japan put yourself together I don't care if you ship them to Mexico, there is way too many people. So if you don’t know what Japan is like well think of it like you just went to a basketball or football game any sports game or concert any big place with lots of people, and so when the game is over everyone leaves and it takes you like and hour to get out of the parking lot, so that’s Japan EVERYWHERE EVERYDAY I’m like Oh My God that is crazy all the people it is INSANE. They have tiny capsule hotels with thousand if capsules for people to sleep in because they do not have enough space. So to end if you read all of that good for you because it was probably really boring and long so give yourself a pat on the back and comment what you think about Japan’s population issues.

Hello people in Social Studies class, Are you shocked or surprised by that crazy subways in Asia?
Well, I've got something (not  important, though.. eh, maybe it is) to say about it. To begin, I am very used to those insanely-packed-with-people subways, because I used them once in a month or so to go to my granny's house, and it's not that, crazy, and crowded, and, um, stuff. It's only packed with people at weekends and commute time. See, nothing get shocked about, it's pretty normal! But I don't really know about Japan's subways, it does look more crowded then it does in Korea.. (They kinda look like zombies trying to get into the human cities, but no offense Japanese people!! Maybe I'm too dramatic) 

Squished!

Have you ever felt very uncomfortable next to someone because you’re squished? Well imagine about 20 more people in the same position. Now were you squished before or are you squished now? Every morning thousands of people get jam-packed into trains, feeling like sardines in a can! There are two options, one option is getting to your train super early and board or be pushed into the train by workers from the train station. Once you are in the train it feels like you’re at a concert, but hosted in your bedroom! Some unlucky people might have to ride a different train because they won’t fit. Have you ever been on a train like this, if so what was it like?

Woah...THIS is Japan?!

You wake up in your capsule one morning. Forgetting that you were in your capsule, you bump your head on the roof of your capsule. Then you remember. You're in Japan...

Welcome to Japan!

Unbelievable for sure...

        We all have heard of those insanely packed subways! You think it's...well...pretty unbelievable. You think to yourself...Hmmm, I'd want to see if those subways are as packed as they seem. Will there be some room to move my body? Or will it be so tight that I touch everyone. EW...but I want to find out and see it in real life! I'm going to find out right now!

        Your arrive at the station and your astonished. What comes upon you is a little too crazy, but now you know what it really looks like. You refuse to get on the train with that crowded amount of people! You leave despite refusing to that unusual/cool train ride. Then, you decide to see some of the cooler features of the place. You walk around the street, staring up at the vast skyscrapers. It dawns on you and you wonder...How long does it even take to build these towering buildings?! This is too surreal...The rest of the day you explore this city of Yokohama and try some of the amazing Japanese dishes like Sushi and Unagi. Yum!
        Huh, already 8:00 pm! Time flies when you're having fun. You had a good time. No. A great time! And this isn't even close to half of the awesome things in Japan. You think London is cool. You think Hawaii is cool. Try Japan! So...what do YOU think? Yay Japan or nay Japan? (I say yay!)

Japan's crowded problem

Japan is one of the most crowded places on earth. Everything is a rush. Everything is very crowded. The trains are sometimes even worse. When the doors, every pushes and shoves. Many people get trampled d hurt, sometimes even worse. After the train is loaded again, the workers have to push everyone in the train to close the doors. It is a horrible experience. If this is how it is on trains, imagine in grocery store, pools, or hotels. Hotels in Japan are very small and no room for comfort. If you want to go to the pool, everyone is cramped together like sardines shoulder to shoulder. Would you be able to live in japan that way?

Coffin or Bed?

After more than 14 hours sitting in a plane, you arrive in Japan and need a place to sleep. Are you feeling a little claustrophobic after seeing more than 127 million people in the country? If not, you might enjoy staying in a capsule hotel. Imagine sleeping in a cardboard box that is barely as big as a the refrigerator in your kitchen.To add to your experience, your sibling is in the box stacked above you. These are closer quarters than the bunk beds you sleep in at home. To get to your “room”, you cram into an elevator the size of a bathtub. You also don’t get your personal bathroom. In fact, you have to go to a different floor to go to the showers. For a less expensive night's sleep, you should try out the 9 Hour Capsule Hotel. As the name says, you stay there for nine hours per day. You get one hour to rest, one hour to shower and seven hours to sleep. No matter what capsule hotel you book, do not expect to get the best night of sleep. Your “door” is a shade you pull down at the end of your capsule and people are walking by all night long. How would you feel in such a cramped place?

Isogashī in Japan

Isogashi meaning busy in japenese perfectly describes this country.Imagine living in a country where personal space doesn't exist. You may say there isn't such a place, and my response is "Yes there is this place exists just 6,230 miles an island country off the coast of Asia." I'm talking about Japan, this country has a population 127.3 million people residing there. I think that the normal combustion or the hustle and bustle of daily life would be the end of me. Staying in a hotel were the most room you have is about the size of a storm drain. Seems like a lot, but imagine the ways of transportation having to stuff into a train car as if you’re in a sardine can. Osaka one of the most famous food cities is a highly populated city in Japan with 2.665 million inhabitants. The This beautiful city seems like a cool place to visit with it’s variety of architecture, boisterous nightlife and hearty street foods. The architecture is a whole other topic the Shinto Sumiyoshi-taisha is among Japan’s oldest. Do you think you could take on daily life in Japan?

Capsule Hotels

You missed your train home. Where are you going to stay? It’s already 9 o’clock and is getting dark outside! After looking around for a few minutes, you spot a sign for a capsule hotel, and it’s only $40. You decide to stay there. There are only a few rooms left, but you manage to get one. The space is small, but it will work for a night. You place your single bag from work on the table, and turn off the lights. You hope not to miss the train again, because this is a very small space.

Life in Tokyo

                                             When you wake up, you are in a capsule hotel,                                  
just arriving to Tokyo the night before. You grab your big backpack, and head off to see the city. Since you are meeting your friend Shannon for lunch at 2, you have some time to get there. You go and rent a car, and stop at every shop, most people there speak some English, enough to let you buy a souvenir. You stop at the Ueno Zoo, and visit only about a quarter of the animals there. Looking at the clock, you realize it is about 10 o'clock, so you have about four more hours to visit the city. Driving for about 10 minutes, you reach the Tokyo Imperial palace. Good thing you brought a light load, because you end up exploring the endless gardens, and temples for a good two hours. After that you go to the Edo- Tokyo Museum and look at the amazing sculptures, and art. You look at your watch and realize you are ten minutes late! You get in the car and quickly make you way over to the Hakushu restaurant where Shannon will be waiting. Where would you visit in Tokyo?

Yep, this is the train system in Japan

Imagine that you were in Japan riding a train...you might imagine being in a train like a terminator in Terminator. But actually in Japan, the trains are not like that at all. During rush hour, there is so many people that the people who work at the train station have to push them into the train. Sometimes there is so many people in the train that some people have to take another train. The people in Japan don’t mind being pushed into the train anymore, like herding sheep. There are so many people on the train because during rush hour everyone has to get to work and school at the same time. The people during rush hour are packed in like sardines by “Oshiyas” which are the people who push the people into the train. It is so packed during rush hour sometimes that some people avoid riding in a train during it. If you were in Japan, would you avoid riding a train during rush hour?

Capsules Hotels!!!

Hi, my name is Sophia and I live in Japan! I am a college student and I use a Capsule Hotel for where I stay every night. It is kind of like a dorm room, but a little bit smaller. I like it there, but sometimes it isn't that great because it is really crowded and I want to hang out with my friends. It also feels a bit weird because there is everything I need in a little capsule including, TV, radio, and WiFi. Staying there is definitely different because there is an extra place to brush your teeth, shower, put your stuff, and go to the bathroom that is not in your capsule.  Would you want to stay in a capsule hotel every night... or even ever?

A Day In Japan Part 1 (part 2 written by Breanna)

Picture yourself living in Tokyo. How would it feel or look. What would it be like to live there in Japan?

You wake up in your apartment.  To you, it would be considered small, but to others in Tokyo, it would be the average size of any other apartment or house. With the rooms all tightly packed together, you would have to find clever ways to conserve your space. Lots of people choose to pack away their things in drawers or bins to reduce clutter in their already tiny homes.

Today you decide to get your breakfast at a local coffee shop down the street from your apartment. You walk out of your building and head to the Cafe. You bump into at least four people on your way. The streets are always so crowded here in Tokyo. When you arrive, the line is out the door and when you look in, the tables are all filled. Luckily you are getting yours to go. You don't mind the wait because it's a nice day and you don't have to work today!

You get a latte with adorable coffee art!

You decide to go shopping while you wait to meet your friend at Pizzeria Da Peppe Napolistaca for lunch. You stroll around Shinjuku Golden Street, browsing their variety of shops and stands. Of course there are so many lines and the river of people makes it hard to get around, so you only make it to three stores before you have to leave for lunch.

You make your way to the subway station closest to you. Oh my gosh you think, the subway so crowded! There are people that are helping to shove the passengers onto the train just to they can shut the doors. There is no way you are getting on that, but you end up doing it anyway. It is part of everyday life in Japan. When you are on the train, you can't move and have people on all sides of you. It is loud, hot and very squished. a few minutes later the train slows and you can get off.

You made it to Pizzeria Da Peppe Napolistaca! You and your friend rejoice at the site of each other. It has been a long morning for both of you. After your wonderful lunch, you go your separate paths. You make your way home. You are done for the day and don't plan on doing anything else! What an eventful day in Tokyo Japan.

My day at the water park

It was a Saturday morning and me and my brother were really good this week so our parents let us go to the water park an hour away. My brother Chudington and I were so excited because we have never been to a water park before and we had only seen pictures of places like this one we saw that is in the Bahamas and this other one in America. My parents refused to tell us which one we were going to so we couldn't search the name on the internet. This trip was going to be a total surprise. When we arrived my brother screamed with joy "YAAAAY", I was rather confused because the water park parking lot we were pulling into wasn't the same as the ones I saw online, this one looked run down.  When we went inside I was even more let down, there were so many people and dim lights and cracks running up and down the walls and the smell was a dank musty humid moldy smell. I soon learned to put how it looked behind me because once I had the best food ever in the grossest restaurant ever so I went into the locker rooms and tried to lock up my belongings but all of the locks rusted so they didn't turn, I soon found a pile were others were putting their belongings. Going outside and looking at the water slides I was in disbelief how they were still standing, there were easily 100 people in line. Soon going to the wave pool I saw no water for there were people on top of people. I then went to my parents and we all agreed to go home and forget this trip and just take us shopping, because this seemed like more of a punishment than a congratulations.

Crowded Cities

Imagine a place with a surplus population. It holds too many people, overflowing, full. There are many places that have this problem, including Japan. It's a place that has tiny hotels everywhere. There are trains overflowing with people every morning. Imagine yourself being shoved into other people when there is literally no space at all. Yet they make it work and get the job done. Also there is a lot of distractions including light, noise and other people trying to sell things to you. I experienced these three distractions when I went to Las Vegas. Do you think you would be better off living in a busy city or a not busy city?

A Night In Tokyo

I get on my maglev train and heave on all my bulky luggage. The train carries me swiftly and silently like gliding across ice towards the center of the Tokyo. Straining my neck to try to get a peek at the rails but the train moves at 350 km per hour and rails blur. When I get off at the city center station I immediately head to a restaurant and try some udon with traditional side dishes like Nikujaga. A sushi chef skillfully prepares my main course.

Afterwards I find out even the bathrooms in Japan are high tech, The toilet has a  cleaning system and can even play music. When I head to my capsule hotel night has fallen fast on the city but it isn't much darker than the day time. High rise buildings light up the blackness, the dark columns stretching as far as 60 stories up. Settling into my capsule, I fall asleep within seconds, thinking about tomorrow's plan to tour Odiaba.

Tokyo is a huge bustling metropolis in Japan. While it is very modern it also is very traditional, the mix of the times creating an interesting, amazing city.

Cube Hotel life !!!

Imagine walking into a hotel and asking for a room. They give you a key card and tell you where your room is located. As you open the door of the hallway you notice a blue neon light. When the door is fully open you see hundreds of rooms the size of a twin bed with a glass door. When you reach your room you slide your key in and open the door. Inside the room is a tv, USB port for a phone charger, and the floor is the bed. It is just big enough to sit up in. As you climb in and close the door you feel like you are climbing into a coffin. You get nine hours to sleep and when you wake up you get to shower. How would you like to go to a cube hotel ?

THE TUBE PEOPLE ARE COMING

Imagine you and your family are going on a vacation....say a water park a normal regular "sane" waterpark. You won't find that in China you'll find a town like place that you suppose is flooded. Well that is what the japanese city people call a water park.  

Now that you have gotten that image into you head. your going to wake up with a bunch of shirtless people with a tube over there head in you nightmare. I don't know about you but this looks black friday when mom's are trying to buy the last toy for their kid. Man when I am never going to Japan. I thought the lines at Kalahari were long imaging this. Ugh I will have nightmares how about you?.

Everyday life in Japan

                          On your way to work, you have to be pushed onto the train car, for there is no more room left on the train. Packed tightly, you hold on to the bars in the top to keep from falling over; not that you would from all of the people around. This is the life of an everyday citizen in japan who travels by train to work. Every morning you wake up, and get ready. Then, you are packed into a train car with lots of other people like a giant ham sandwich. you might have a small coffee that is like the color of a raven’s wing, and then you arrive at work. It’s not easy to live in a small-space life. If you are lucky enough, you might have a house to go home to at the end of the day. If you aren’t so fortunate, you might live in a cube hotel, each capsule being the size of a stall in a bathroom, and it is the exact shape of a small cube of cheese. Every day it is the same pattern. Every day you do the same thing, a non-ending and repeating cycle that seems to go on forever. There are some breaks though, like in the summer, where you can go to the local wave pool and have some fun. Even that reminds you of the life you try to escape from though, because you are in a giant cup of water with other people floating around with you and it seems so dense that if someone were to look into the cup, all they would see was you and the other people. Life in Japan seems small, with no space for large families and luxurious two-story houses. At the end of the day though, it is worth your while to get a good night’s sleep.

A Day In Japan

Your long black hair sways in front of your face. An average citizen in Tokyo, Japan, you are used to the crowds. People bustle all around you, jostling your cup of coffee. In a city with a population of 13.35 million people, space is not something you’re used to. You’re not rich, so you live in a tiny capsule hotel. You consider it spacious, for a capsule. You’ve never experienced anything different. Your parents and your parents’ parents grew up in Tokyo, and it’s all you’ve ever known. The car fumes are air to you, and the constant rain fits like a second skin. Someone bumps your arm, and your coffee spills over the ground. It doesn’t bother you as much as you thought it would; in such a crowded city, it happens all the time. You quickly slip through the elevator doors just before they close. You work as a software engineer for a large company, and you can’t afford to be late. The elevator is small, but at least 6 people are stuffed in there. When you reach your floor, the office space is bustling with movement. You move through the people and reach your desk, finally sitting down. This is an average day for someone in a huge Japanese city like Tokyo. Would you like to live there?

Why do you sleep in a cube?

The 9 hour capsule hotel is a small cube that you sleep in!  The idea of the hotel is to stay for 9 hours then leave. You have about one hour to eat, seven hours to sleep, and another hour to shower and rest. You get only one night to stay and sleep compared to a normal hotel where you can stay for days or longer. I would like to stay in a capsule hotel because they look comfortable. They are small but cozy and the things there look nice. The lobby looks nice, the shower area is also nice. Would you like to stay their?

Funny Bone

“Haha!” I squealed as someone hit my funny bone. I glanced back me and saw the pushers cramming more people into the train car, that was already packed. As I was turning my head back, I got the air knocked out of me. I would have fallen over if it wasn’t for all of the other people on all sides of me, holding me up. What horrid place could possibly make me endure all of this agony? This is just another regular day at the train station in Tokyo, Japan. From last week’s ride, I still have bruises from the pusher shoving me so very hard to get into the train car. This is just one of the many challenges as a result of overpopulation, facing citizens in Japan every day. The train car is always at maximum capacity. I like to think of the train car as an adventure. It is an adventure everyday just getting to work. Some days, I cannot get to work because of the crowded train car can’t fit any more people in, even when the pushers push and push. In the end, I think that to get to work I will just take a taxi cab. You can’t get bruises from taxi cabs. What would you do in this situation?

CHOO! CHOO! TRAINs

Choo! Choo!

Trains. They are a major transportation systems for people in Japan. There are millions of people who use the train everyday, and the trains stations are jam packed! People fight their way to get on trains. Then people that are to push people, hired people start shoving people in! The hired people also have to shut the doors closed because there are so many people. The doors can’t even close! I’m fighting for a spot kicking, punching, scratching, and hair pulling. When you live in a city with over 127 million people it's hard to get to places on time. So you’re racing to get to the train, then fighting to get a spot on the train, then sitting in a hot uncomfortable train.

Your Stay In Japan

You have just arrived in Japan, from Michigan. Your lost and don't have a place to stay. As you keep walking you see a sign that says 9h. The people working at the front desk give you slippers. You set your shoes aside put on the slippers and follow the arrows on the floor. It's now 9:00 and you decide you want to go to bed, because of your long flight. The arrows lead you to two bathrooms one for girls and one for boys. You get inside the bathroom and see that the  room has cupboards for you to put your stuff in, inside the cupboards they have a robe and a tooth brush with 9h on both. After you get ready for bed you see more arrows you follow them, it leads you to a dark room with weird bed things. At first you don't understand what they are, then you realize that they're you beds. You fund your number and see that the capsule is really wide and super long there a light, a shade you can close for privacy, there's even a t.v. You go to sleep and can't wait to discover more things in Japan. As you wake up and leave the building your left wondering, what was that place that I stayed in?

Insane Intesection

The light blinks, the crowds swarm. You try to run, for you are in a hurry  but you can’t. People are surrounding you. Babies, grandpa's, kids, dogs, you name it’s there. You are only one of the 2.5 million pedestrians that come to the Shibuya Tokyo, Japan intersection a day.  After you go to the glorious malls and the savory  food in Shibuya,you must go to the intersection again. People are yelling and shoving when you arrive. The smell of the streets and body odor is foul but this is the only way to get where you need to be. The light turns to the walking sign it and seems like time stops. Cars are no where in your sight. All you can see is  people everywhere.  There is even a kid on the ground  being stepped on as his parents frantically try up to get him up. It takes you a full three minutes to walk through the intersection which is about the size of your lunchroom. In the end, you decide that it might be better next time to take the crowded train to the crowded wave pool instead of taking the crowded intersection.

Overcrowded Trains

            Once upon a time, I traveled to Japan for a business trip. I had been to New York City, so I believed that I would do fine in the crazy train station.
               When arrived at the station, I realized that I probably should of rented a car. If I thought New York's subways were bad, these were a thousands times worse. Hundreds of thousands of people were crowded in the station, like a colony of ant, pushing, yelling an fighting. The train was much worse though. There were people dressed in uniform pushing people into the trains so that everyone could fit. I couldn't breath!
               As soon as the train stopped, I got of, even thought it was not my stop. I fought my way out of the train with thousands of other people, and vowed that I would always rent a car. Could you survive a Japanese train ride?

MOVE OUT MY WAY!

“OW!” I yelled as someone jammed their elbow into my shoulder blade. A tingle traveled down to my wrist.  I tripped over someone's untied shoe laces but didn’t stop trying to get onto this train. Twenty people around me were doing the same. How am I going to make it to work if I can’t squeeze on the last square inch of the space left? The workers started to haul the door shut. At the last second I gave it my all and bulldozed into train. The doors shut behind me. Ten people who couldn’t manage to get on the train would probably get in a lot of trouble for being late to their work. I made it, although the person next to me looked like they were about to hurl from the mobbed train. For me this is an everyday bustle.  I feel a heel stepping on my toe, a sharp zipper in my back, and two elbows jabbing my ribs. Now all  that I can do is wait for twenty more minutes until my stop.

This activity of cramming and shoving onto a train is a twice a day ordeal for people like the one above.  It takes place in Tokyo, Japan. In my opinion this is not right for people to be pushing to get on a train. I bet many people get hurt by getting on this train. The people in charge need to do something about this. Passengers who have to go on it do not have a car and this is their only way to get to work! It needs to be safer. Can you imagine doing this everyday? Do you think this needs to change? How?

The Train Story

Have you ever been on a train? Airplane? Bus? Or any mode of public transportation? Well, as crowded as that experience might have been, the trains in Tokyo are 10 times worse. Especially during rush hour. Imagine you trying to go to your work and your car just got towed yesterday because you left it at the beach and didn't pay the parking toll. You don't have enough money to get it back right now. But after a day's work, you will be able to get it back. So, instead, you need to ride the morning train. You walk to the station and see that there is a line extending outside the doors. You wait reluctantly for at least an hour. You finally get inside the station and you hear the announcer say that everyone needs to get to the track. You start moving towards the door. Or at least trying to. You are getting pushed and shoved by a bunch if people in a rush to get to work. You wonder if this is really worth all the trouble. The answer to your question is I don't know. It is way too crowded in one small space. WHY ISN'T IT BIGGER! These are the thoughts running through your head when you start very slowly and cautiously walking the the double doors made of glass. You hear the train whistle getting louder every few seconds. Then the floor starts to rumble and you know the train is coming. You start to look around and people don't even seem to care. Like almost getting pushed onto the track is normal. Just then, the train comes stalking down the track. When the train stops, you can clearly hear all of the yelling, talking and movement inside even when the doors are closed. You stand on your tiptoes to try and get a good look at the train. You still can't see the train, so being the curious person that you are, you find a ledge and decide to stand on it to get a better look, muttering apologies as you move towards it. Once you get there, you stand on it, you can't believe what you see. You look through the tinted window and saw what seems like millions of people. Finally, about a dozen men come out of a car wearing navy blue uniforms and matching hats. They move towards the doors, about two guards at each door. The pry the doors open at the same time, and there is an explosion of noise going through the station. People rushing out all over the place and you have to fight to stay on your ledge. People flood out like a tidal wave. You were surprised that the guards weren't knocked off of the boarding station and onto the track. You surely would have. Once all of the other passengers had filed out, it was your turn to go in. People started moving towards the train and you got pushed off of your ledge. Luckily, you caught your balance and got onto the concrete. You were in the middle of the pack, so you kept getting your new shoes stepped on. You bit back sassy remarks to the people who were stepping on your shoes. Mostly because you were stepping on other people's shoes as well. You managed to look ahead, and those same guards in the same uniforms were pushing people on the train. Wow, how rude you though. But then it dawned on you why the guards were pushing people into the train. They were trying to fit them all in. Soon, you felt the guards pushing you into the train too. Your fingers almost got stuck!!! When you were finally settled on the train, you could only think about how you never wanted to do this again. And you never had to because you got your car back. Just remember not to leave your car not payed for at the beach. :)

THE HORRIBLE TRAIN STATION PROBLEMS IN JAPAN!!!!

Let me set your mind on a picture. Imagine you're waiting to get on a train to get to work with 10 or 20 other people. Then when the train pulls in, you are pushed into a heavily packed train car by the people behind you and the workers at the station. Well guess what? This scene I just put you in happens every day. Almost everyday people get shoved onto trains by people. And people are actually paid to stuff train passengers into the trains that are so packed. I think this is a horrible situation being stuffed into a train everyday. Can you imagine doing this? It would be so horrible. My question is if they want off how do they get off the train if everyone off the train is trying to get on. In conclusion, this is horrible and if i was there i would just walk to work.

A Morning in Japan

It’s another morning in Japan and you’re going to work by train. Well, Your goal of the morning is to get a seat on the train to work. But, it’s going to be a little bit harder than you think. First of all you have to reach the station as early as you can.  Your train leaves at 7 a.m and you reach at 5 a.m. But there is still a crowd of people still waiting as if the train was coming now. So, you wait in the crowd of people and as time passes more and more people come. Eventually it gets extremely crowded and you don’t even have enough space to move your arms. The train eventually comes. The only problem is that there are already a bunch of people on the train everybody is going with them. Eventually people start boarding the train and it’s a mess. You end up getting shoved in super hard and you are barely in the train. You feel extremely crowded and you can barely breathe because of the amount to people in there. You have to be on the train for about 15 min which will feel like forever. The train starts to move and you fall on somebody because you were off balance. More and more people come on the train and you feel like you're gonna faint because of how hot it is. This is something that people in Japan have to face every morning. If you don’t want this to happen for many people than what are your solutions to solving this problem?

Small Boxes For Small People?

Capsule hotels consists of small capsule rooms. Capsule hotels in Japan are cheap and small. Most capsule rooms come with a radio, television, alarm clock and free WiFi. Some capsule rooms feel like you're in a small box. Every hotel has public bathroom and lockers to put your stuff in. Capsule hotels range from anywhere to thirty to fifty dollars a week. Each capsule hotel is stacked side-by-side. Often people call some capsule hotels sleep boxes. Most capsule hotels are in Japan. The reason why most capsule hotels are in japan is because they were first created in japan.People have suggested that if you have family then, you shouldn't try a capsule hotel. In my opinion I would absolutely hate to be cramped in that little space. Imagined knowing there's people right beside you. That's a little freaky.It will probably feel like you're being shipped across the country in a small tiny box. Although, it has free WiFi, I still wouldn’t even go into that small box. Do you think they have different small boxes, for different sized people.

A crowded train ride with my fam

Twenty minutes until work starts. Only two more people to be shoved in. In the distance, I hear "I hate taking the train!" On the other hand, people are suffocating, being smashed together like peas in a pod, only with 500 people in one pod. Well, this is Tokyo, Japan one of the most populated cities in the world. Eventually, the signal goes off that our train is ready to make its morning commute. "Finally" I think, they got those two people shoved in here. Then, all of a sudden, the train blasts off like a rocket, sending people flying and tumbling on to each other like gymnasts. A young American woman comes flying into my rib, sending a searing pain up my side. The struggle is real. With a city of 127 million people, you can imagine how many of those people ride a train at once!! After all, life isn't always a simple car ride to work, it's more like a simple car ride of major claustrophobia! So let me ask you this, would you be able to take on a population of this many people, or nah, is too much for you?

The Busy Metropolis of Tokyo

Have you ever been on a train? If you have, you probably didn't have to be shoved inside just so the doors could close. In Japan, this is what happens. Japan is extremely overpopulated, and just everyday life is hard to get through without being squeezed next to a bunch of strangers. People are actually hired to push people into the subway so that they can fit. And could you imagine water parks? there is one where there is a wave pool, and you cannot even see water. All you can see is people squeezed into the wave pool and moving up and down. How would they get out? I challenge you to find more places where there is an extreme population.

Your trip to Ishigaki Island!!!!

Today, we are taking a trip to Japan’s Ishigaki Island! This beautiful island is known for snorkeling, scuba diving, and surfing. There is also rare blue coral near the shore. There is also mountains that are good for climbing and hiking. It’s a relatively small island, only around 21.75 miles long. The average weather there is 80 degrees and sunny, everyday! I would love to live there! Their whole population is only 49,000 people, but it’s still the most populated of 19 islands. Imagine that you fly on connecting flights for a total of about one day and three hours to get there. What do you do first?