Nihon Ryokaku Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha

I think it's high time I formally thanked Japan and its uber-convenient railway system.

I've come from a country where there are currently only 4 major passenger railway lines available, compared to Japan having one of the largest passenger railway company in the world! And that's just JR East, one of Japan Railway's seven companies (I've read Wikipedia's article about JR East, and I can't even begin counting the railway lines it has!).

Of course when I first came here, I was overwhelmed to say the least.

"There are TVs inside the trains! Oh it's a cooking show!"

"Wow, they're really on time... up to the minute! Maybe even to the seconds!"

"Look at those tracks, there must be a dozen beside ours!"

"This is a railway map?! And it doesn't even include subways yet!?!"

"I thought I stepped out to a mall... awesome station!!!"

"Hey, I'm being crushed by a mob! Oof~ Cool!!" and so on...

Then it became routine, and after that well, let's just say I don't shout anymore whenever the train switches tracks. I even fall asleep while riding nowadays. And to think I used to take my camera whenever I ride the train~

Though, I feel so 'cool' whenever I encounter a ticket gate and I pull out my Gucci wallet (gift from Aunt, dunno if it's original), wave it a bit, and swipe it with a flair on the scanner. All with a fluid motion and a stoic face. Though there was a time when I mistook the screen with the blue arrow as the scanner and I kept rubbing my wallet till a staff member came and told me that I'm rubbing it at the wrong place... or when my wallet slipped from my grip and ended up on the 'other side' of the gate... or that time I swiped my card too fast, realizing that it's already expired when red lights came out, and ended up trapping the woman in front of me to get stuck at the gate... among other things.

What I love about commuting here is the fact that you get to live in another prefecture and still be able to come early for work, with half an hour to spare. And for me, who oversleeps everyday, it's a lifesaver! And although the train fare isn't certainly something to joke about, the convenience, the punctuality, and the passionate service they offer is definitely worth every Yen.

Oh, I've just found out an alternative route that will save me fifteen minutes of walking everyday. AND it took me less than a minute to have my train pass updated for me by a train station staff. AND then discover that it's even cheaper than my previous fare!

And would you believe me if I tell you that this cat runs a train station all by herself? Seriously.

She even earned the title Super-Station Master - the 5th highest rank in the company! Making her the only female with a managerial position and thus earning an office of her own too! Probably because when they gave her the job, sales went up 17%. Now if that's not a reason for promotion, go deceive yourself.

Super-Station Master Tama. The 'super' makes all the difference doesn't it?

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