
Photo by dat’ on Flickr
You’ve no doubt heard horror stories about masses of bodies being herded onto trains like cattle, often with the aid of oshiya (pushers), who stand on the platform and help to cram as many people as possible into already crowded cars. Or perhaps you’ve taken note of news stories detailing the advent of all-female cars on some trains thanks to rampant groping of female commuters (made possible by trains so densely packed that women can’t even turn around to see who might be molesting them). But let’s be clear: such incidents have been hyped by a media stuck in a 24-hour news cycle with little actual news to report. And while trains happen to be the main form of transportation used in Tokyo, any adverse conditions can be easily avoided by skipping peak travel times or simply using other forms of mass transit. So if you happen to be planning a trip to Tokyo and you’re wondering about the best ways to get around, here’s the 411 on public transportation.
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