Trains in Tokyo. It's the way to get around and the way to get to school. Click on these short videos (they are all 1 minute or less) to experience with our youngest son a little of his life commuting to and from school each day.
The day I accompanied him with my camera, he said, "Oh mom, this isn't crowded at all." Notice how he shuffles to get out. Riding is one thing. Getting on and off is another. I am always a bit panicky that I won't be able to shove my way off before more people pile in. We still laugh about the grandma and the shoe story one of his first days to school.
Each day the boys walk 8 minutes to the train station from our house. (S0metimes we take them to the station in our car if it is raining or they are running late.) They ride on the train 1 stop, which only takes 3 minutes to a station, get out and walk about 5 minutes to the nearby station on a different train line (along with everyone else that does this) then they ride a train 2 more stops (about 5 minutes) and then walk about 3 minutes to their school. If you add it up they are commuting by foot as much as by rail. During busy times when there are a lot of trains running they can make the trip in less than 30 minutes. We buy them special student passes that cost about a 1/4 of what it would otherwise. Multiple that by 3 though and it sure adds up. Just another part of living in the one of the most expensive and crowded cities in the world!
