Traveling to work by train can be either a hassle or a joy. My current trip is a joy. It lasts 26 minutes, covers 15.0 km, takes me over two rivers, passes through 5 stations, and occasionally allows me to view Mt. Fuji. On most days, there are a choice of seats on both sides of the carriage. This is good. This is as it should be.

Even though the listed time is 26 minutes, only 18 of those are actually spent riding on the train. The remaining 8 minutes consist of standing around waiting for the connecting train to arrive. This 8 minutes can vary, depending on the time of day. Some days require an all out dash from one platform to the other to make my connection. I hate those days, they make me sweat.

Passing over the rivers presents a visual break from the steady stream of houses and also allows passengers to glimpse Mt. Fuji on clear days. Very relaxing. After typhoons, the rivers are swollen and flow quickly. There are usually bits of tree and general garbage zipping by. I enjoy spotting shoes and clothing. It makes me wonder, “How did that shoe get in there?” My theory is, it belongs to the hobos who live on the river banks. I could be wrong.

The return commute is beautiful when there is a full moon and a clear sky.

Since my commute is done late in the morning, it is important to sit on the proper side of the train to avoid the glare. I do not sit on the sunward side of the train; It complicates playing PSP games and computing. Whenever possible, I pull the shades down over the windows. Some passengers do not seem to appreciate the shades being drawn. Tough shit, I’ve got corners to navigate and blog posts to compose.

That is my commute: I ride through two large stations and three useless ones, see a bit of nature, and enjoy my electronic gadgets.

I think we were supposed to post a picture of what we did on New Years. I spent mine in Fukushima snowboarding in peace and quiet. Luckily for me it was the coldest day of the year and there was a snowstorm.

Here’s a copy of the US Embassy email concerning the tsunami. It has contact information and advice for anyone who is looking for information. To anyone with missing friends or loved ones I cannot begin to imagine your distress, but I hope and pray for their safe return.

Ado has written a great piece on his commute to work:

So you see, the main reason I like to leave this early, just to have the opportunity to sit down and comfortably read the paper instead of being pressed up against sweaty salary men diffusing the nauseating breath of unbrushed teeth. Whether crowded or half-empty, rush hour trains are an oasis of silence.

Continue reading The Suburbanite (1)…

I am sure some of you already know about the Hyperdia timetable and route page. For those who don’t, here it is [Hyperdia Timetable.] If you need to find your way from station A to station B, Hyperdia is for you. Maybe.

Hyperdia has one minor flaw, it does not have some of the smaller stations in its database.