I didn't expect it when I arrived, but trains in Japan are one of the best places to fully experience what makes Japanese culture so distinct. An overwhelming amount of people commute via train, and a set of unspoken rules soon emerged to keep things orderly among crowds. To give you some idea of how crowded things can get, Tokyo's Shinjuku station is often cited as being the busiest train station in the entire world, with an average of nearly 3.6 million people passing through each day! With so many people in a hurry to catch their train, it's essential that everyone cooperates to keep things running smoothly.
While some people choose to drive cars, buses and trains are easily the most popular form of transportation in Tokyo. Tokyo's train system is operated by three different companies: JR (Japan Railways), Tokyo Metro and the Toei Subway. An army of buses serve to shuttle people between their homes and the nearest train station, and from there, you can reach nearly any part of Tokyo in a matter of minutes!
While you can buy a traditional paper train ticket at any station, that system would take way too long for daily commuters. Instead, most people in Japan carry either a "Suica" or "Pasmo" card, which contains a chip that allows you to enter the station by simply tapping your card at an entrance gate.
