A seemgingly normal form of transportation quickly becomes and intergral part of experiencing Japan. Subway's in Japan are definitely experiences. For starters, subway carriages are packed throughout the evenings. It gets so bad that you don't even need to hold onto to an overhead handle or a pole; because you're so wedged in-between people that you couldn't possibly fall.Plus, you always come across something interesting on Japanese subway's. Whether it's people K.O'd in a deep sleep, people completey enthralled in their mobile phones, PSP's and DS's or people trying their hardest not to stare at you because you're a big ol' gaijin. The subway carriages are entertaining in themselves. If you're lucky you might get holed up in a carriage which features a couple of plasma screens which show cool adverts, news bulletins and also show you the stops you'll stop at, as a lovely Japanese lady speaks to you in Japanese and then English with a distinct twang. Thrilling stuff!
Interestingly you always get women only carriages, which is pretty self explainatory. Chikan (Train groping) has been a problem in Japan for many years. So these woman only carriages during peak times aid to help the problem and ensure women can make their way home without being felt up without permission. They also act as prick teases for fellas on the platforms. Because the amount of sexy ladies you see in these carriages when they go past is just ridiculous. You ain't seen a Pussy wagon until you've seen a women only carriage packed out on the Tanimachi line at 6PM.
There's rarely a dull moment on Japanese subways.