Since entering university, I`ve had my fair taste of what it`s like to be a commuter. At my branch campus, I had about a 20 minute drive if the weather was fair and at PSU I had about the same time on CATA. Last semester I got incredibly lucky since my homestay was only about 30 minutes away via bike, subway and walking. This semester, however, I am twice as far away.

Time could be an issue, but as for right now I am energized and able to manage. The factor I can`t stop focusing on is the traffic. The number of people that I am going to and from school with is something I imagined for Tokyo. Seeing them now, I bet Tokyo is even more crowded that I initially anticipated.

We start at Kuwana Station, a bike ride away from my home in Kuwana-shi, Mie. Our destination from my home in Kuwana-shi, Mie. From there, the train is already what I will refer to as `comfortably packed.` It reminded me of what I thought were crowded trains where you`re close to people, but you aren`t kissing the window or anything. That amount of crowded was limited to like Friday and Saturday nights, but now it is every morning. So needless to say, I will never get a seat on my 25 minute ride into the city. 
I really don`t like holding on to poles or the hanging rings because of germs (think what you want about my phobia, just playing it safe), but I don`t think I`ll be able to keep that up since there a few really bumpy sections. Going to be upping the hand sanitizer this semester, it seems. And if all else fails and I manage to get sick, I will have to wear one of those masks because it would be impossible to cough without offending someone, they are that close.

Once I get to the city–Nagoya Station–we change to the subway. That`s right, I said we. It`s the last stop for that train so everyone is getting off and heading for their transfer. When you have that many people, you don`t walk, you shuffle that many people, you don`t walk, you shuffle along. We shuffled so slowly, in fact, that I felt like I was in line for the stairs to the platform. I saw three trains go by before I was able to get into one. Luckily they come every 2 minutes between 7am and 8am. Also got to see a train official nudge a man in so he could shut the doors. 
A majority of the people got off two stops later at the downtown section (Sakae) so I was able to enjoy the last 20 minutes of my ride, but what a trip. That will definitely wake me up in the morning.  

Location: showa-ku, aichi-ken, Japan