Train Stations

Trains are what keeps Japan rolling; they are what people take to get to work, to the malls - to just about anywhere they need to go.

Train stations come in all shapes and sizes from tiny shelters similar to bus stops in small towns to huge airport-like terminals in the big cities; every place has a train station mere minutes away.

Even people with cars find it more convenient to take the train to and from work rather than drive, but that might just be because almost all employers reimburse their employees the price of their tickets. Even students take the train, as school buses are mainly only for pre-school and kindergarten kids; from first grade and up you have to make it to school on your own, no matter how far it is.

In the United States train stations are usually tucked hidden away in some barren part of town, but in Japan they are the center of any given town they service. Stations are often surrounded by malls, stores and restaurants. The further away from the station you get, the more rural the town becomes.

Train stations are not only a convenient means of getting around, they are also a great way to let others know where you live. To my peeps in New Jersey, think of it as telling someone what exit on the Garden State Parkway or what Turnpike exit is closest to you; it gives the general area that you live in. Heck, even when filling out job applications, they often ask the nearest train station to your house.

I wonder if young people boast about their closest station. Rather than say, "Commercial Ave represent!" I could almost picture them shouting out, "Shinjuku Station in da hiz-ouse!"