Commuting

I just moved in with a host family this week, and a big part of staying with a host family is commuting to school every day. By far the easiest way to commute is by the excellent train system throughout Japan. Primarily I see students on the trains (all in matching formal uniforms), but there are also buisinessmen, office workers and a hodge-podge of other people. Usually I am one of the two "Gaijin" or foreigners on the train.

My morning commute is about an hour each way, which means I have to get up around 6:30 to get ready in time for my first train. I'm out the door at about 7:10, with my first train leaving promptly at 7:20.

I get on the train at the "Tarobou" station (more of just a platform, no attendants or turnstyles), ride for about 15 minutes and then get off at "Omihachiman", a kind of hub for local trains.

Because the local train is run by a different company than the main line (Japan Railways or JR for short), I have to switch trains at Omihachiman. The trains are in the same station, but I have to swipe a train pass to be let onto the JR train.


The train passes are basically credit cards, only instead of swiping through a reader, each card has a wireless chip in it. All you have to do is press it over a pad on the turnstyle and you're let through. Its amazing how integrated technology is in daily life. The infrastructure required for this service must be extensive, but it pays off in efficentcy. Almost an entire train full of people during rush hour (500 people minimum) can move through a checkpoint in less mere minutes.

I get on the "Hikone" train and ride for about 15 minutes and then get off at Hikone station. Once there, I leave the station and get my bike from the guarded bike parking lot just outside. From there its about a 20 minute bike ride to JCMU. I pass tall office building and shopping centers as well as rice patties and farmland. Also, I get a nice view of Lake Biwa just as I pull into JCMU.

It's somewhat strange because the trains are ALWAYS on time. My host mother was telling me the only time they are late is for a suicide, In which case the attendants will hand out notices to all of the passengers that act like doctors notes explaining why you are late. Despite how morbid it sounds, its still amazingly efficent.

Overall its kind of fun, it gets hectic in the morning because there are LOTS of people everywhere. Often I am pushed shoulder-to-shoulder with high school students, with standing room only. But by the end I get to class with about 40 minutes to spare every morning. This extra chunk of time can be well spent on  studying or on enjoying a can of iced coffee from the convienent vending machines.