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 And the next time you go fishing in your pocket, to your dismay your wallet’s been replaced by a ball of newspapers.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.