Commuting in Tokyo

Thu 2009/09/17 08:40 JST
 by 
Danny Choo
 33
11999 views

Currently waiting To catch a train for a 10:00am meeting at Good Smile
HQ. Takes over an hour to get there - I think I'm already late ^^;
Will do some live blogging from the iPhone when I get there.

How long does your daily commute take and do you have to go through
the sardine treatment?

今朝はGSCでMTGだ。1時間以上かかるんだけど。遅刻
ですね^^;
This post was uploaded from the iPhone by Tokyo Live Blogger [www] Danny Choo. You can view more of Danny Choo's past Live Blogger posts somewhere here.
Latest Tokyo Live Blogger posts
  • Arayden KOGs
    Arayden KOGs in 虚空 (Registered on 2009/02/06)
    Mirai Bustaaaaaaa!!!

    Peak period at current time?

    -_- So far i believe SG is the only one with some !@#$ing yellow lines drawn on the floor so that the @#%@^ing boarding paxs "would" make the effort to stand behind them and ALLOW the disembarking ones to get out first. Guess what, some of them insist on standing RIGHT in front of the doors.

    Thu 2009/09/17 09:05:43 JST (ID #718834)
    reply to Arayden KOGs's comment
    • litokid
      litokid in Toronto, Canada (Registered on 2007/11/25)
      university film student | ecchikid | the Archivist
      http://www.vimeo.com/longhim

      ...Trying to read it properly, but...Singapore is by far the only ones with yellow lines for passenger-line-up. ^^; Hong Kong has them, and Taiwan has them, and Beijing has them, and those are just the ones I've been to.

      Sat 2009/09/19 10:07:57 JST (ID #719795)
      reply to litokid's comment
  • kyourin
    kyourin in Shizuoka, JP (Registered on 2009/05/20)
    To Aru Tenki Rain
    http://kyourin7.blogspot.com/

    for me going to Tokyo takes 3 hours via futsu densha XD that's why when I plan to go to Akiba, I need to leave early like 7 or 8 am ^w^

    But in normal days I ride a bike to office which takes only 8 mins at normal speed .. 5 mins at Initial D mode XD (chikoku da XD !!)

    Thu 2009/09/17 09:06:46 JST (ID #718836)
    reply to kyourin's comment
    • Arayden KOGs
      Arayden KOGs in 虚空 (Registered on 2009/02/06)
      Mirai Bustaaaaaaa!!!

      Initial D Modou ?!

      Here comes the 2 WHEEL DRIFFFFFTTTT :P.

      Thu 2009/09/17 09:13:57 JST (ID #718840)
      reply to Arayden KOGs's comment
      • senseij
        senseij (Registered on 2009/08/30)

        dont you mean doh-rift-o ? lol

        Sat 2009/09/19 01:26:09 JST (ID #719670)
        reply to senseij's comment
  • GXD
    GXD in Vancouver BC Canada (Registered on 2009/04/29)
    Good-For-Nothing

    If im heading off to work... With a Bus>Skytrain>Bus>Walk combo, it takes around 45 min if im lucky, up to 1 hour or so.. 30 min if i decided to drive <-- Which I almost never do, since i prefer to read on the trip, What does everyone/Danny do on the trips ?

    Thu 2009/09/17 09:16:31 JST (ID #718842)
    reply to GXD's comment
  • kokost
    kokost in Canada (Registered on 2008/09/20)
    Student
    http://kokost.deviantart.com/

    My commuting time depends on what time I start and if someone falls ill on the line I'm riding. Its never consistent so I always time myself for one hour trips with maybe 10 minutes extra if my body can handle it.

    Thu 2009/09/17 09:34:26 JST (ID #718844)
    reply to kokost's comment
  • Stefkov
    Stefkov in England (Registered on 2008/06/01)
    http://www.stefkov.com/

    Where I'm currently residing it takes me 5 minutes, or less than, to walk to the entrance of the building where most of my studies will be.
    べんりですね~。

    Thu 2009/09/17 09:42:00 JST (ID #718845)
    reply to Stefkov's comment
  • kodomut
    kodomut in .sg (Registered on 2009/04/18)
    Nendo Exhibitionist
    http://www.kodomut.com

    Oh my, I'll take a picture like this when I go back to Uni. It's quite scary in SG too ^^

    Thu 2009/09/17 09:51:32 JST (ID #718847)
    reply to kodomut's comment
  • XSportSeeker
    XSportSeeker in Brazil (Registered on 2007/08/22)
    Dropping computers, starting all over again at Journalism
    http://immalion.com

    Yep... only it's on buses rather than trains.
    The estimate time of buses can vary A LOT, even getting half an hour late.
    Sometimes the bus I take has problems too, it's kinda frequent, so from 45 minutes once it took an hour and a half to get to my destination.

    It's nowhere near as neat as japanese trains.

    Oh yeah, it's always crowded, to the point of having to push people or wait for the next bus.
    And the main problem with that in Brazil is that not everyone is a clean (values personal hygiene) as one would expect on other countries.

    So yeah, it's bad. Specially on rainy days.

    Thu 2009/09/17 09:56:19 JST (ID #718849)
    reply to XSportSeeker's comment
  • Kodama
    Kodama in Ottawa, Canada (Registered on 2009/03/28)
    Laptop Tech

    I'm out the door in the morning around 7am, take a max of 4 buses to work (sometimes 3) with about an hour at a mall along the way for coffee and paper (and watching the pretty University students waiting for the bus :).
    If I make all the right buses, I can be home in 40 min., and only the bus from Herdman station is crowded. Add 10 min. if I don't make the ideal connections.
    Someday, there will be a light rail for some of the way, IF THEY EVER GET STARTED ON THE BLEEDIN" THING!!!

    Ahem....Gomen. ;)

    Thu 2009/09/17 10:27:01 JST (ID #718861)
    reply to Kodama's comment
  • silent1134
    silent1134 in Los Angeles, California (Registered on 2007/08/22)
    ???Confused???

    It's especially bad now that school started again...

    Thu 2009/09/17 10:50:32 JST (ID #718871)
    reply to silent1134's comment
  • 6pack
    6pack in Indo-land (Registered on 2008/03/20)
    http://otakuposts.blogspot.com/

    rush hour in my place starts at around 6 in the morning and goes on till 11. its a nightmare getting in and out of the carriages here. and yes we are like sardines, actually like 1 1/2 cans of sardines stuffed in 1 can.
    it used to take me around 1 1/2 hrs to get to work.
    people standing in line looks good. here no lines. people just rush in from all directions when the train comes.

    Thu 2009/09/17 10:56:08 JST (ID #718873)
    reply to 6pack's comment
  • naito
    naito in (。◕‿‿◕。) (Registered on 2007/07/18)
    大学生
    http://naitonojikan.blogspot.com/

    It usually takes about 5 minutes to commute to and from class.
    It's nice living close to the college. ^^

    Thu 2009/09/17 11:19:54 JST (ID #718882)
    reply to naito's comment
  • ben_s
    ben_s in Melbourne, Australia (Registered on 2008/06/23)
    Film and Video/Arts Student
    http://bensengsouvanh.tk

    My daily commute ranges from 25mins to work and 45mins - 1 hour to get to uni. Our trains are not really that crowded during the day, but in the morning and at about 3pm-5/6pm the trains start to get a little crowded.

    Thu 2009/09/17 11:28:08 JST (ID #718883)
    reply to ben_s's comment
  • Bakkou
    Bakkou in Australia (Registered on 2009/04/01)
    Student

    Thankfully my school institutions only a walk away to get too :)
    Although when I go to my lectures its sardine time :(

    Thu 2009/09/17 11:38:24 JST (ID #718888)
    reply to Bakkou's comment
  • sehsuan
    sehsuan in Singapore (Registered on 2008/12/28)
    insurance advisor
    http://www.sportsshooter.com/sehsuan/

    you'll never find people queueing the way like that in singapore; not for the next few years, at least ;-D

    it seems that generally that people of tokyo know that, "hey, since we all gotta cram in the trains, we might as well make life a little better to queue up in an orderly manner..."

    Thu 2009/09/17 11:58:55 JST (ID #718898)
    reply to sehsuan's comment
  • BatMouse
    BatMouse in Vancouver, Canada (Registered on 2007/10/06)
    Software Consultant
    http://kamlau.com

    It takes 55 minutes for me to travel from home to work and 1 hour going back. It is quite consistent since the Canada Line started running. But it did not shorten my commute by much.

    Thu 2009/09/17 12:32:01 JST (ID #718907)
    reply to BatMouse's comment
  • Hidden Oasis
    Hidden Oasis in California, United Sates (Registered on 2008/10/28)
    College Freshmen

    I actually want to experience riding a Japanese train on rush hour at least once in my life.

    Thu 2009/09/17 13:52:22 JST (ID #718929)
    reply to Hidden Oasis's comment
  • version 7.0
    version 7.0 in San Francisco, CA (Registered on 2008/02/20)
    Student

    I take public transportation on and off, so it's not a daily routine, especially since I live on campus, away from home for college. Whenever I am home in San Francisco, I rarely ever get the sardine treatment, even during rush hour. The bus can get full at times, but it rarely ever gets to the point where it's impossible to exit the bus.

    Thu 2009/09/17 13:56:55 JST (ID #718931)
    reply to version 7.0's comment
  • gerbo-san
    gerbo-san in Arequipa Peru (Registered on 2009/03/24)
    Industrial engineer
    http://inotas.blogspot.com

    jikan ga nai?
    that is quite common here, also called the peruvian time, where the meeting takes place later than proposed. Fortunately, some people, including I, are working hard to fulfill their promises on time.
    For my current job, conmute is about 15 minutes, its quite near, walking is about 30 min or 45. But none enjoyes walking in the morning sun.
    Also, I suppose its chikan time then =P

    Thu 2009/09/17 14:04:54 JST (ID #718932)
    reply to gerbo-san's comment
  • infinitehippos
    infinitehippos in Nottingham, UK (Registered on 2007/11/25)
    Wage Slave

    My daily commute is in two parts. Firstly, after a quick walk, a 14 minute tram journey from near my house to the railway station and then a six (yes six) minute train journey to near my office. With walking times and waiting times it takes around 45 minutes from leaving home to getting into my office.

    I purposely go in early to beat the more crowds (which can get bad) so am normally in the office at 7am. I leave at 4pm which means that the tram home can be very busy but it's not normally to bad.

    Thu 2009/09/17 14:07:11 JST (ID #718933)
    reply to infinitehippos's comment
  • Tubbygaijin
    Tubbygaijin in Leeds, UK (Registered on 2008/03/14)
    Web Designer & Game Developer
    http://www.tubbygaijin.co.uk/blog/

    My commute doesn't take too long its just so early! train station is 2 minutes walk from my house so I leave about 7am to make sure I don't miss the 7.06, its a 15 minute trip into the city and a 20 minute bus journey out to the office so I'm usually in for 7.45 which is madness because I start at 9! It's either that or late though.. gotta love public transport

    Thu 2009/09/17 14:49:12 JST (ID #718942)
    reply to Tubbygaijin's comment
  • josephtame
    josephtame in Tokyo (Registered on 2008/12/27)
    Podcaster and tech-otaku
    http://www.tamegoeswild.com

    My commute is like a game of strategy. Choosing the right door to get on at is very important - choose the wrong one and I'll find myself at the end of the queue to get out of the station via the single file staircase at my destination! If I want to get a seat though I have to be extra cunning, and position myself in front of someone who looks likely to get off before me!

    Thu 2009/09/17 15:11:34 JST (ID #718949)
    reply to josephtame's comment
  • Puru Puru Purin
    Puru Puru Purin in Canberra, Australia (Registered on 2009/09/17)
    Underpants inspector #42

    For me, commuting into the city by car takes about 30 minutes during traffic, or about 20 when there's little traffic. Add another 15 minutes walk to that because I refuse to pay $3 for parking near the ANU (good exercise too). I live in the country side, so no public transport unfortunately.

    Thu 2009/09/17 17:47:39 JST (ID #719032)
    reply to Puru Puru Purin's comment
  • gozeki
    gozeki in Denmark (Registered on 2009/09/10)

    Summertime is great, I just ride my bike for 35 minutes. But when it gets too cold for my comfort, it's 45 minutes of well packed busses and trains. And both are usually messy and late.

    Thu 2009/09/17 18:25:49 JST (ID #719048)
    reply to gozeki's comment
  • Dekooninglim
    Dekooninglim in San Francisco (Registered on 2009/02/10)
    Japanese Language Student

    My workplace is right across the street! It's really great. I used to have to drive 30 miles through heavy commute traffic. Now I have more time to lounge around and waste time.

    Fri 2009/09/18 01:33:56 JST (ID #719182)
    reply to Dekooninglim's comment
  • mrDN
    mrDN in USA (Registered on 2009/03/17)
    Freelancer
    http://twitter.com/duynguyen

    Commute for me really depends on where I'm going. School takes 25 minutes, work 10 minutes, and everywhere else about half an hour or more. Almost feels like I live in the middle of nowhere.

    Fri 2009/09/18 08:44:26 JST (ID #719254)
    reply to mrDN's comment
  • Shin Muhammad
    Shin Muhammad in Jakarta (Registered on 2009/03/09)
    Editor in Chief, KAORI News Online
    http://www.kaorinusantara.web.id

    JR chuo-rapid line???

    I'm using local train, usually it takes between 45-60 minutes to go to the city from my place. What's I like is they're using imported ex-Tokyu Denentoshi trains to serve my line.

    Fri 2009/09/18 09:24:06 JST (ID #719263)
    reply to Shin Muhammad's comment
  • agcpictures
    agcpictures in La La Land (Registered on 2009/08/14)
    Screenwriter Wannabe

    when i was doing an internship in l.a., it took 30 min to get there in the a.m. and 90 minutes to get back in the p.m... that majorly sux0red.. now it's about 25 to and maybe 40 from..

    Fri 2009/09/18 11:38:00 JST (ID #719347)
    reply to agcpictures's comment
  • Reltair
    Reltair in California, United States (Registered on 2009/06/13)
    College Student
    http://www.projectsaber.com

    Commute at peak hours here are usually traffic jams on the freeway or packed BART trains.

    Fri 2009/09/18 11:56:45 JST (ID #719359)
    reply to Reltair's comment
  • senseij
    senseij (Registered on 2009/08/30)

    My daily commute consists of a 45 minute drive to school, and a 45 minute to work from school. From work, I have to drive about a half hour home. My day consists of a lot of driving haha. I really wish they had trains here where Im at.

    Fri 2009/09/18 13:56:13 JST (ID #719411)
    reply to senseij's comment
  • lightningsabre
    lightningsabre in Vancouver (Registered on 2007/08/30)
    Pseudo-Graphic Designer, 触手 wrangler, H-Man
    http://lightningsabre.blogspot.com/

    Kinda tired of the sardine treatment with public transit... At my bus stop near my house they tend to skip over people when the bus is full. Sometimes skipped 2-3 times. Which is why I'm now glad I have a car to get around ^^

    Sat 2009/09/19 09:24:35 JST (ID #719769)
    reply to lightningsabre's comment