Rush Hours in Japan

Rush hours in japan are very crowded. Trains begin to fill shortly after seven AM, and the peak is between eight and nine AM. Major train stations and their platforms are full of people. The trains are so crowded that the expression "packed like sardines" isn't an ex-aggeration. At some platforms, station personnel routinely help the passeengers board the trains safely by pushing them through the doors from behind. The evening rush hour is between five and six thirty, and conditions are much better than in the morning.

Yes, it's really that crowded. Foreigners living in Japan are amazed at their rush hour commuter trains. Once you're on the train, you're packed in so tightly that you dont even need to hold onto anything. There's no danger of falling.

Roads are very crowded too. Traffic is especially bad between eight and nice thirty. But even after that, heavy traffic continues all day in big cities like Tokyo. There are just too many cars for limited streets and highways. If you absolutely must be on time for something, you either start very early or go by train or subway instead of by car or cab.

Transportation in Japan

The average family usually have one car. Two-car families are relatively rare in Japanese cities. One reason is the expense. Another is space. Most japanese cities are crowded, and there's not much space for parking cars. The main streets have heavy traffic, and the residential streets are often narrow and winding. In order to own a car, you have to prove that you have an off-street parking space.

This really does limit car ownership. Even if you do have a place to keep one car, finding a second space is very difficult. It is posible to rent a parking space, of couse. But that could cost hundreds of dollars a month. In rural areas, where space is available, two-car families are more common.

Public transportation is good - very good. Having just one car or even no car at all isn't usually a problem in Japan. Public transportation is fast and convenient. Japanese have good buses, subways, and commuter trains. And many taxis are available.