Commuting to and from work is probably never fun in any country. In Japan it becomes much more of a terrible experience because of the amount of people. The trains are sometimes so packed that you wonder how on earth anybody else can get on the train.
Recently my hours at work changed so I’m starting and finishing 30 minutes earlier. Because I start relatively late compared to other people, the train wasn’t as crowded as it can get at peak times. However 30 minutes earlier means that the trains are generally more crowded. There is a huge amount of people that change trains to an express, and as people push and shove their way onto the platform, it looks like a herd of cattle. Nobody has any other emotion than annoyance and exhaustion, and it was such a depressing sight.
I’ve started to just stay on the train until everybody has found pushed their way onto the platform, because I can’t stand becoming part of that crowd.
There’s an interesting word in Japanese that means a corporate slave, which also uses the word for cattle. I don’t know when the idea that work had to be super serious and tiring came about, but nobody seems happy or excited to go. Of course it’s difficult to be excited when your face is pushed up against the window of the train, but everyone looks so unhappy. Even after working at a Japanese company, I’ve noticed how miserable people are. This isn’t just a case in Japan but in many countries as well, but it’s so sad that the activity that takes up most of our time is something we don’t like. Some people have found their calling and they love going to work, but the majority seem miserable.
There’s a lot to be said on the subject, but just a recent observation about how different 30 minutes can make.