The Tokyo subway during rush hour is anything but heaven.
Rush hour Tokyo trains were a dream, people are polite and queue, but they queue so that they're not in the way, the carriages are surprisingly head-roomy for 6'4 me, unlike the shit show of the central line, they're cooled properly, like the circle/district and the stations were almost universally clean and spacious unlike our tube platforms which are often cramped with tiny exits through archways blocked by people filling the platforms.
I'm not saying the London Tube is bad, but I would take Tokyo subway over it any day.
It may be controversial to say but tourists (local or from afar) are generally the worst part about central London commuting, due to the ignorance of the etiquette, especially when tourist numbers can be overwhelming in some parts.
Surely this is subjective? The station designs by Leslie Green and Charles Holden in particular are highly regarded.
- Have your ticket/oyster/card ready BEFORE getting to the gates (and move to the side and out of the way if you need to take time to find it)
- Move inside the carriages
- Don't start conversations with commuters (especially during morning rush hour)
- Take your rucksack off and put it by your feet if it's crowded
- Don't walk 3+ abreast
- Don't run for the train and especially don't block the closing door (there's a train every 2-3 minutes, just wait)
Other annoyances;
When you get to the bottom of the escalators don't just stop in the middle looking at phones and wondering what platform you need. Stand to the side.
Observe the queues next to each door position on the platform and join them. Do not just stand in the clear space in the middle. Following on from that, let people off the train first!!
Walk down the platform don't huddle at the entrance to it.
Don't wait for the gates to close before tapping your card. Just tap and check for green light.
This surprised me when visiting the UK.
I actually expected people to stand on the "left" of the scalators - just like how they drive on the left and overtake on the right - but they didn't. They stood on the right.
I was left puzzled ???
Cars stop on the left, which allow other cars to overtake them on the right.
DO ask people for directions or for help, people may look tired, they may look grumpy they may even be those things, but most will be more than willing to help you.
EDIT: Others covered a few important ones I missed too; backpacks off, walking N-abreast so as to be blocking others from passing are a big no-no; you may be having a leisurely stroll, commuters have places to be, whether at work or at home with their families and their feet up after a long day.
edit: Rule to add - don't just stand still when you step off an escalator.
Of course, these are all rules that should be followed by everyone on all public transport. Nothing really specific to the tube.
This goes for any city that is popular with tourists, who seem to forget that most of the people in a city live and work there, and have their own lives that do not revolve around hospitality or entertainment for tourists.
Also, the trains are on time, so there's no waiting on an overflowing platform for 10 mins of no trains then 30 minutes of trains too full to get onto.
Having experienced both, I'd take Tokyo anytime.
I've done that.
Its busy for sure. But it works. Even if crowded, its still punctual and high-frequency.
Still preferable to a London rush-hour.
In London even during the rush hour you get a seat when you are disabled or pregnant.
In Tokyo you end up pregnant when you enter the train:
https://noisebreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/oshiya.jpg
Also, the pandemic has really sped up adoption of either wfh, partial wfh, or commuting during “shoulder” hours instead of the peak of peak, from what I’ve heard.
It’s nearly as enjoyable as getting someone out of the way so you can get in said aisles yourself and avoid being compressed next to the doors at rushed hours.